


Bad Influence

by DirtyLarryStylinson



Category: Larry Stylinson - Fandom, One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Anal Sex, Bad Boy Louis, Bottom Harry, Dominant Louis, Drugs, Fanfic, Gangs, Innocent Harry, M/M, Manipulation, Secrets, Sex, Sexual Tension, Submissive Harry, Top Louis, larry stylinson - Freeform, one direction - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-05
Updated: 2015-11-05
Packaged: 2018-04-07 19:47:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 60
Words: 88,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4275759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DirtyLarryStylinson/pseuds/DirtyLarryStylinson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>❝Bad company corrupts good morals.❞</p><p>Influence. Impact. Leadership. Authority. Influence allows the dominant to overrule the follower. It allows the dominant to reshape the follower into a whole new form, generally consisting of rebellion and illegality. </p><p>In this case, Louis Tomlinson is the dominant bad boy and Harry Styles is the innocent, unaware follower.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, Guys, here's a new story for you! I know the summary and tagging is really awful but I am hoping this story will be a lot more organised than my last because I have planned the chapters. I do hope you enjoy, and feel free to leave feedback <3
> 
> Here's what the characters look like in the story:
> 
> Harry: [](http://tinypic.com?ref=2hfjvjp)
> 
> Louis: [](http://tinypic.com?ref=t0s3ef)
> 
> Niall: [](http://tinypic.com?ref=2a9p44g)
> 
> Liam: [](http://tinypic.com?ref=2u786c9)
> 
> Zayn: [](http://tinypic.com?ref=2n0rfgo)
> 
> *Imagine Louis, Liam and Zayn having black eyeliner on, too*

Harry honestly felt like he was on another planet when he walked through the gates of Hall Cross Academy. Sure, he had moved schools plenty of times to have the experience, but it felt as though every single person he made optimistic eye contact with would just look at him as though he was some sort of unpleasant thing that they had trodden in. His mother had reiterated several times that he was going to fit in just fine and make lots of lovely, new friends, but clearly it was a whole lot different from her perspective. She wasn't the one having to trudge around the campus on an icy cold morning, trying to figure out where the hell to go, and not knowing who was approachable enough to give him a hand.

He decided he'd follow the crowd, who were seemingly rowdy for a Monday morning. They all seemed to be heading into what appeared to be the main school building, so Harry followed them like a lost sheep. He approached what looked like the reception, shyly tapping his fingernails on the glass to get the receptionist's attention. 

"Can I help you?" She quizzed, rather sternly, after sliding the glass hatch across. Wow, that's a lovely greeting -- not. 

"Oh, Hi, I'm new and-"

"Name?" She cut him off, intentionally, catching Harry off guard. 

"I'm Harry Styles."

She turned in her swivel chair, using its wheels to glide across the smooth floor to the filing cabinet at the other side of the reception area. The fact that she couldn't be bothered to get up and walk over there explained the fact that she was a little on the plus side, but Harry tried not to think about that because he had been raised not to judge anybody. 

She rolled back over on the chair a moment later, holding out an A4 sheet of paper in Harry's direction. 

"This contains your timetable for the term and your classroom number." She explained, blandly. 

"Thank you very much," Harry smiled, taking the sheet and letting his eyes scan over it, "Thanks." He repeated, before turning away from the reception area and facing the school crowds again. He peered back down at the sheet, taking in the classroom number: F4. 

He ventured off in an Eastern direction, heading back outside, following a sign which directed to Classrooms A-H. He wrapped his jacket tighter around himself when the wind whipped past him paticularly hard, carrying on past other pupils. He turned a corner at the end of the path, as the ground turned from concrete to grass, looking down at his feet whilst he walked to avoid having watery eyes from the cold temperature. 

The thing that did make him look up, however, was a strong smell from what must have been a group of smokers. It definitely didn't smell like normal tobacco cigarettes, but more like something Harry knew was a lot worse. 

There were three boys leant against a brick wall, behind a bunch of trees, taking drags from some roll-ups that they held. Harry looked left and then right, unsure whether to turn back the other way or go right past the crowd of drug-smokers. He had no choice whatsoever, though, when he was confronted. 

"What the fuck are you doing over here?" One yelled, in a tone that sounded soft yet intimidating. Harry's eyes widened as he stared back, watching the three boys strolling over, dropping their roll-ups into the long grass.

"L-Look, I'm not looking for trouble, I-I'm new and I-I got lost and-"

"Shut the fuck up!" The same boy yelled. Harry couldn't do anything right, could he? He was asked a question and then instantly demanded to shut up. The leader was close enough now to be visible facially to Harry. He was tall, yet not too tall. His chestnut brown hair was ruffled up messily and pushed across his forehead, and he had a cute face. Terrifying personality, but a cute face. It wasn't cute when he was hurling swearwords at  Harry, though. 

The other two boys - one brunette and  one black-haired - were taller than the loud-mouthed, cute-faced one.

"I-I'm sorry, I-I'll leave," Harry faltered, gulping, but the leader stopped this by grabbing a handful of Harry's t-shirt and shoving him violently against the brick wall, causing Harry to groan in pain. His heart was racing at a thousand miles per hour as the leader stood up close to him. The proximity between their bodies had Harry shaking under his touch. 

"Listen, newbie," The leader spat in his face, "I think you'll find that this is our area that you've wandered into. Now I can bet that you'll scurry off and tell the teachers what we've been doing. For that,  I think we'll have to teach you a little lesson."

Harry's wide, begging eyes stared helplessly into the other boy's eyeliner-rimmed ones, wondering why he was stood so close to Harry in the first place. Harry wanted to just disappear.

"P-Please, let me go. I promise not to tell anyone!" Harry beseeched, voice cracking towards the end. The leader, whose face was actually very beautiful up close, simply laughed mockingly at Harry's response. This was followed by a swift, powerful punch to Harry's jaw, causing him to cry out in pain as his face flew to the side with the force.

"I-I'M SORRY!" Harry exclaimed, tears streaming from his eyes. "JUST LET ME GO, PLEASE!"

"Do you think he's learnt his lesson, boys?" The leader declared, smugly, whilst evilly glaring into Harry's eyes.

"He seems scared enough. What a faggot." The black-haired one mocked, followed by a smirk. Harry was actually hurt by the nickname because he was gay, and this was something he was frequently called in his previous schools. 

"Alright, newbie, go." The leader spat. Harry hesitated. "GO!" He roared, noting Harry's slowness. Harry scampered away, giving one last wary glance back before disappearing around the corner. 

Shit, this wasn't going to be an easy school.

\- - -

Harry ended up arriving five minutes late to class, on his first day. He was already shaken up enough from the run in with those bullies, and now he had to pull himself together and enter a room full of new, potentially mean classmates. 

He knocked clearly on the door of classroom F4, trying to catch his breath back as the talking from inside ceased completely. The door creaked open a moment later to reveal a plump man, who wore a blue shirt, tucked into grey trousers, and he had a balding head that shone under the fluorescent classroom lighting. 

"Hello, you must be our new student!" He welcomed cheerfully. At least there was somebody who was actually genuinely nice. "Come in and introduce yourself, kiddo."

Harry stepped into the room, hating the feeling of everybody's eyes on him. 

"I'm Harry," He introduced, quite confidently, "Harry Styles." 

"Cool name!" An Irish accent called from the other side of the classroom, belonging to a happy-looking blonde boy. Harry liked this class, so far.

"Well, Harry, seeing as Niall is so keen on your name, I think I'll sit you with him. I'm Mr Gordon, by the way." The man smiled,  before gesturing to the blonde boy on the other side of the room to tell Harry where to sit. Harry made his way over there, receiving lots of little 'hello's on his way from the other classmates. 

"Hey, man!" The enthusiastic boy, Niall, greeted, pulling out the chair beside him for Harry. 

"Hi, you alright?" Harry asked with a smile, as if he had known Niall for several years. 

"Yeah," Niall smiled, but his smile dropped and he squinted as he looked over Harry's face. "You've got a bruised cheek." He commented, causing Harry to remember the horrible incident that had happened just five minutes ago. 

"Oh, that's nothing." Harry lied. First minute of knowing Niall and he'd already told a lie. 

Just then, the classroom door flew open, slamming harshly against the wall so Harry jumped. His eyes widened when he looked up, because in strolled the three boys who he had spotted smoking. The three boys who had already made him afraid of coming to Hall Cross Academy. 

Mr Gordon didn't even ask why they were late, so Harry guessed it was something that happened on a regular basis. The leader of the gang immediately locked eyes with Harry, but his next emotion was unclear. He looked surprised, smug, angry and for some reason... happy. Probably because he knew he could now frequently bully Harry now.

The leader held the eye contact, with a harsh glare, up until he sat down on the opposite side of the room. 

"That's Louis Tomlinson," Niall whispered in disgust from Harry's left. "Don't go near him, or Zayn Malik and Liam Payne. They're all horrible people."

"Wait, so that one's Louis?" Harry queried curiously, pointing to the one who had been the most confrontational of the three, and who was still staring him down. 

"Yeah, it is. He's the biggest dickhead I know." Niall rolled his eyes. "He stole my girlfriend from me last year, then they broke up after two days. I wouldn't be surprised if he cheated on her."

"Wow, that's... spiteful." Harry  whispered in bewilderment.  He turned to look over at Louis again, who was staring right back. He had a stupid smirk on his face, probably at the memory of intimidating Harry. 

"If you stay away from him, you should be fine." Niall advised, oblivious to the fact that Louis was eyeing Harry like a predator eyed its prey. 

It was far too late to stay away now.


	2. Chapter Two

Luckily, Harry managed to find an alternative way to get to class the next day, opposed to having to cross the path of Louis, Zayn and Liam again. He just knew that if he would have gone that way again, he probably would have gotten even more hurt than yesterday. 

Even though it sounded stupid, Harry felt as if he was being watched. Not casually watched because he was a new student, but closely watched, from a distance. The more he thought about this, the more stupid it sounded, but he still sped off to his class.

He was pretty much on time today, sitting in his seat by Niall -- who he still didn't know all too well. 

"Hey!" Niall greeted brightly, high-fiving Harry and making him feel very welcome. 

"Hello." Harry smiled politely, turning to concentrate on their teacher once again. Not too long later, Louis, Zayn and Liam loudly entered the room, still lacking an apology for the disruptive entrance. Mr Gordon looked irritated but still avoided saying anything to confront the group. 

When Louis had reached his seat and settled down, his eyes began slowly skimming over the class. They stopped when they landed on Harry, then that stupid, sinister smile found its way onto his face and he held the eye contact for a few seconds before looking down at the tabletop. 

"What is his problem?" Harry whispered to himself, not meaning for it to be aloud. 

"Whose?" Niall queried, causing Harry's heart to begin lightly thudding at how he now had somebody's attention about the matter. 

"Louis Tomlinson." Harry muttered, even quieter than before. Niall's eyes trailed over to Louis, who was admiring his nails as he very idly listened to what Mr Gordon was saying. He always looked so bloody smug.

"What does he keep doing?" Niall pushed, as his eyes flicked from Louis to Harry, who was still examining the way Louis acted. 

"He just keeps staring," Harry expanded, in annoyance, "It's a bit off-putting."

Niall breathed a laugh from Harry's side, making the curly-haired boy arch an eyebrow at him. "What?"

"He probably has a crush on you." Niall wiggled his eyebrows, before erupting into laughter that was only just within the boundaries of a suitable volume. Harry felt his stomach flip at this. Surely not. DEFINITELY not!

"Why's that so funny?" Harry asked, mouth quirking to the side.

"Because that would make him gay!" Niall cackled in whisper. Harry felt like his heart shattered. His face fell, mouth forming a line and eyes lifeless. Was being gay that bad? 

"Wait..." Niall caught onto Harry's sudden mood change, "Did I, like, you know... offend you?"

Harry looked left and right before leaning in, whispering, "Well, I'm sort of... gay."

Niall leant back with raised eyebrows and wide eyes. "Really?" He gasped, as though being gay was some sort of unpleasant disease. 

"Yeah. It's okay if you don't want to be my friend anymore." Harry trailed off, miserably, letting his eyes find his hands, which were nervously trembling on the tabletop. 

"No, no, of course I still want to be your friend!" Niall exclaimed, cheerfully - in whisper, of course - and he patted Harry reassuringly on the back. Harry felt his body overflow with a wave of relief. "No judgements with me." 

"That's awesome, thanks! You're great." Harry grinned. 

"Harry, Niall, stop talking, please!" Mr Gordon declared, grumpily. Harry immediately sensed Louis' stupid smirk again. 

"Yeah, Harry," Louis called, playfully, testing the new name, "Stop flirting with Niall!"

The class exploded into a chorus of thunderous laughter, so the blood rushed to Harry's cheeks and his heart once again began hammering against his ribcage. 

"Okay, everyone, it wasn't that funny! Settle down!" Mr Gordon rolled his eyes, gradually decreasing the interruption until it was quiet again. 

Harry's eyes fell back onto Louis, who was staring right back again. He raised his eyebrows with his signature smirk, before glancing away again.

What a dickhead.

\- - -

When the class was dismissed, Harry was immensely glad. For the duration of the hour of English, Louis had been constantly staring. Whenever Harry made eye contact, Louis either smirked or looked away quickly. 

Harry and Niall joined the back of the crowd as they left, chatting away about a golf tournament that Niall had competed in. They got into the corridor, still chatting amongst themselves, when someone called Harry. 

"Oi, Harry!"

Harry turned with a thickening pulse to find Louis stood a few metres away, with bawled fists and a tough glare. 

"Y-Yeah?" Harry stuttered. Niall was tugging Harry's sleeve, mumbling for him to just leave, but Harry stayed. 

"Come here." Louis demanded, somewhat softly. Zayn and Liam were stood behind Louis, too looking as though they were about to commit murder. Harry took a step forward, towards Louis. 

Without warning, faster than anything that could be stopped, Louis violently grabbed Harry by the collar of his t-shirt, shoving him against the wall. Louis slowly restricted Harry's throat in his hand, causing Harry's face to go red. Niall was pacing around, unsure of what to do.

Harry went to speak but his airways were completely cut off, feeling himself blacking out. He could hear Niall desperately pleading for Louis to stop, but Zayn and Liam were telling him to shut up, and were blocking him from stopping the attack.

Louis moved his face close to Harry's ear, so close that Harry felt his hot breath fanning on the side of his face. "Do you think it's okay to fucking stare at me in class, huh?" Louis growled, causing Harry to shiver. Harry desperately shook his head, having no other choice. He was dying to exclaim the fact that Louis was the one staring, but right now all he wanted was for Louis' grip to loosen around his neck. Louis' body was pressed up against his for the second time in two days, making Harry feel very uncomfortable. 

"That's what I thought." Louis snapped, before roughly letting go of Harry, who dropped to the floor, gasping for precious breaths. Niall speedily dropped to Harry's side as Louis and his followers moved away.

"Harry, oh my god! Are you okay?!" Niall exclaimed in panic, resting a hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry began a frantic coughing fit, sitting up and curling over as he clutched his stomach. He nodded when he was finished, to answer Niall's question. 

"He's so fucking horrible," Harry managed to splutter out.

"I know, I know," Niall agreed in a hushed tone, helping Harry to his feet again, "He deserves to be shot!"

Harry laughed, very weakly, stabilising himself again against the wall.

"Do you want to go to the nurse?" Niall offered, placing a hand on Harry's back. 

"No, Ni, I'm fine." Harry reassured, creating the new nickname for his friend on the spot. 

"If he does anything else then I'm gonna tell someone." Niall said with determination, as they began to walk to their next class.

"Hopefully he won't." Harry wished with a sigh. Deep down, he knew that this wasn't the last time Louis was going to hurt him.


	3. Chapter Three

The next day, Wednesday: Harry was pushed over on the way out of class by Louis. Thursday: Harry's head was slammed against a wall by Louis. Friday: Harry was punched in the face by Louis. 

Long story short, the whole week had been crammed full of unnecessary violence from Louis. Harry was still unsure why, but he was getting dangerously worried by it. If it continued, and he was hurt every single day, god knows what state he'd be in by the end of the year. He'd be a complete mess - on the inside and the outside. 

It was around 4PM on Friday afternoon. Harry and Niall had decided to go to the park near Harry's house, seeing as it was now the weekend. Niall had been attempting to defend Harry all week, even though Liam and Zayn always seemed to stop it. So far, Niall was a fantastic and supportive friend, but Harry knew that he and Niall wouldn't be able to stop the bullying by themselves. 

"I think if I tell someone about it, it'll get even worse," Harry concluded with a frown, using his feet to push his swing back, propelling it into the air and feeling the moderately cold air flow through his hair as he swung back and forth.

"What else is there to do about it?" Niall queried, concern laced in his tone. "He can't just think it's acceptable to hurt you every single bloody day!" Niall swung his legs so he too was swinging, alongside Harry. 

"I'm just gonna have to learn to fight back. So far, I've just been taking it." Harry spoke a bit louder now, due to the sound of the wind whistling against their ears as they swung through the air. There was a silence for a minute or two as both boys remained in deep thought.

"Shit..." Niall gasped suddenly, breaking the silence and causing Harry to rapidly turn to him. Niall stopped his swing by dragging his trainers against the AstroTurf beneath his feet, and he stared into the distance, across the field. Harry brought his swing to a stop before allowing his eyes to follow Niall's gaze.

Surprise, surprise - to Harry's luck - Louis, Zayn and Liam were making their way over the field, towards the park in which the two friends were in.

"We've got to get out of here!" Niall exclaimed fearfully, grabbing his school bag from near the foot of the swings and jumping to his feet. Harry followed suit, scooping up his stuff and following Niall towards the exit of the barred area of the park. 

"Look who it is!" Louis shouted, voice full of both excitement (knowing he could now take his violence out on someone) and surprise. 

"Go!" Harry demanded desperately, when Niall hesitated and watched the boys edge closer. Harry and Niall hastily began jogging, across the uneven path, stones being thrown around beneath their feet. 

"We're gonna fucking catch you, faggots!" Zayn's voice called out, in amusement more than anything. Niall and Harry made brief, desperate eye contact with one another before speeding up even more. They hurried onto the streets, forever hearing the pounding of running footsteps behind them. They were being chased.

They reached the main street, running along the pavement alongside shops and cafés. Harry was tempted to turn into one of the small shops but the bullies were too close behind and would see where they went. 

"H-Harry, I have asthma," Niall warned as they turned left, into an alleyway. An alleyway with a dead end. Niall stopped, leaning over and clutching his knees as he began heaving in heavy, clearly audible breaths. Harry patted his back, apologising, almost forgetting about the three boys that chased them until they too turned into the alleyway with sinister smirks. They knew there was nowhere for Harry and Niall to run now.

"Well, well, well, look who decided to have a nice, little trip out today." Louis smiled evilly, slowly strolling closer with his two followers just inches behind. Harry furrowed his eyebrows slowly, jaw tightening and fists clenching. 

"Can you not just leave me alone for once?" Harry panted, still out of breath from the running. Louis laughed chestily, making an expression as if he had just been told that he wasn't attractive. 

"Leave you alone?" He snickered, moving closer and completely ignoring Niall, grabbing Harry's wrist so he was squirming. "I'd sooner jump off a cliff than leave you alone, Harry Styles."

"Get off!" Harry exclaimed angrily. Niall was still attempting to catch back his lost oxygen, having ran too far for his body to tolerate it. Louis' hand slowly restricted Harry's wrist as he backed him into the brick wall. 

"Why should I, huh?" Louis snarled, with a hint of a smirk. "You probably love another boy being rough with you, don't you?"

Harry's eyes widened, breath catching in his throat. Did Louis know that he was gay? What did he mean? 

"Sh-Shut up!" Harry growled, trying but failing to pull his arm from Louis' tight grip. Louis was clearly much stronger than Harry could ever be. 

"You're not denying it, are you? Faggot." Louis spat, face edging closer to Harry's so Harry was shaking. Louis' eyes met with Harry's, and they just stared for a moment. Harry's large, emerald green, pleading eyes seemed to have a strange effect on Louis, that resulted in sympathy. 

He let go of Harry's wrist. 

"See you at school, queer." He muttered cruelly, before turning and quickly storming out of the alleyway with Liam and Zayn. 

Strange...

"Are you okay, Niall? I didn't know you had asthma! I'm so sorry, I wouldn't have made you run if I knew!" Harry immediately apologised.

"It-It's fine," Niall breathed, "I've calmed down a bit now. I'm just worried about you!"

"I'm okay, he just squeezed my wrist a bit." Harry lied. In reality, his fist was pulsing with pain at how brutally Louis had crushed it. 

"I think I better go home now. My mum'll most likely be worrying." Niall smiled shyly. "Oh, and can I have your number so we can text?"

"Sure." Harry smiled, knowing it would be nice to have someone to talk to that actually liked him. He still often got abusive messages from his old classmates, which certainly weren't something he appreciated. 

The two exchanged numbers before going their separate ways. Harry was now wondering what it was that made Louis suddenly stop hurting him. Did he remember something else important that he had to do, or did he genuinely feel sympathetic towards Harry?

Harry was just hoping that the bullying would cease soon, but that was far from likely.


	4. Chapter Four

Niall and Harry spent most of the weekend texting. They managed to get to know each other a bit more but they still weren't close enough, considering it had only been a week of them knowing each other. 

They had a very interesting text conversation on Sunday evening.

 **Niall:** i really do think louis likes u.

 **Harry:** No, of course he doesn't! He beats the shit out of me every day :/

 **Niall:** dont u think that could be an excuse 2 get close 2 u tho? ;)

 **Harry:** He does get pretty close... but I think that's to be intimidating. He's disgusting anyway, I'd rather he didn't like me, to be honest.

 **Niall:** come on, admit it ! He likes u.

 **Harry:** Well even if he did (which he doesn't) I hate him. I hate him more than anybody else in this whole world. End of.

What Niall was saying really made Harry stop and think. Louis always seemed to get uncomfortably close to him, so much so that sometimes Harry could feel their bodies completely pressed together, and for some reason that thought made Harry's stomach flip. He couldn't quite register the emotion that went through his body, but he figured it was that of disgust. Yes, he was gay, but that definitely didn't mean he got turned on by being so close to Louis Tomlinson.

\- - -

The moment Louis walked in late to class on Monday, his eyes found Harry and they narrowed. Harry sighed heavily, causing Niall's eyes to raise from his work, over to Louis.

"See? He obviously likes you, Harry. He's always staring at you." Niall commented cockily, making sure to shoot a knowing glance at Harry. 

"But that's just his way of trying to intimidate me, as I mentioned last night. He thinks if he glares at me all lesson then I'll be scared of him," Harry concluded, "And it fucking works, too!"

Both boys turned to face Louis again, to see that he was now shamelessly sat on his phone, aimlessly scrolling through it under the table, but without getting caught.

Louis didn't stare very much for the rest of the lesson, but Harry did acknowledge a few little glances here and there, mainly when Harry spotted it in the corner of his eye. That made Harry quite worried, the fact that Louis looked when Harry wasn't, however he still didn't believe that Louis was interested in him... interested in boys. 

Towards the end of the lesson, Harry got up to throw a scrunched up piece of paper into the bin. He passed Louis' table, chucking the paper away before heading back again. As soon as he returned, Niall wore an extremely smug, knowing look.

"What?" Harry quizzed, eyebrows furrowed at Niall's sudden change of mood. Harry slipped back into his seat and Niall leant in to whisper something.

"Louis literally just checked out your arse." Niall informed him, with a hint of humor, causing Harry not to believe the statement. 

"Shut up." He chuckled, waving a hand as a way to tell Niall to stop lying. 

"I'm not joking, Harry, he bit his fucking lip and stared at your arse!" Niall muttered quietly. His voice seemed to be full of truth which made Harry's heart thump.

"Well... I'm sure he didn't mean to..." Harry tried, but Niall cackled a laugh as a way to tell Harry that he was being stupid. 

"He wants you, Harry, there's no denying that."

Harry's eyes flicked to Louis to find him smirking to himself. God, Harry hoped Niall was just over exaggerating.

\- - -

Five minutes before the end of the lesson, Niall got called up to the headteacher's office, leaving Harry on his own to go to breaktime. Harry tried to get up and leave class first, at the end of the hour, as to avoid being stuck at the back of the crowd, but as he walked past Louis, he stuck a foot out. Harry went flying forwards, smacking his face onto the ground. The other classmates erupted into horrifically loud laughter, pointing at Harry, whose face was redening. Mr Gordon had previously left the room, meaning he wasn't around to witness it and stop Louis' bullying.

"Worthless faggot," Louis snarled, after getting to his feet from his chair, flinging a rough kick to Harry's side so a few of the other students gasped and winced. Harry shifted away from Louis and quickly got to his feet, tears threatening to spill from his eyes, and he took off running, out of the classroom and down the corridors. He didn't stop running until he got into the boys' toilets. In there, he locked himself into a cubicle and pressed his weight against the door, heaving in breaths from the horrible situation. 

He hated Louis Tomlinson. He hated Louis Tomlinson with a passion. If Louis Tomlinson were to die, Harry would be happy. Why couldn't Louis Tomlinson die? Then everybody would be happier! 

Harry let his tears out now as he remained with his weight against the locked door. He felt safer in there, knowing Louis could no longer hurt him. For now, anyway. 

If Niall's fact that Louis was checking out Harry's bum was correct, then why did Louis feel it was appropriate to hurt Harry straight after, and humiliate him in front of their entire class? It was getting ridiculous now.

Harry stayed in there for what seemed like forever, reliving the terrible events from over the past week in his head. Then, he heard the door to the bathroom open.

Instantly, his heart started racing. He found himself praying that it was Niall, coming to save him and comfort him, but his heart almost stopped when he heard the voice of the boy who had made his life a living hell so far.

Louis Tomlinson.

"He's probably in here," Louis muttered lowly, to people who must have been Liam and Zayn. "Hiding like the baby he fucking is."

Harry held his breath and shut his eyes, trying desperately not to let out a sob as he shut his eyes tightly. He heard other cubicle doors being kicked open, one after the other, getting closer to his -- the end cubicle. 

"We know you're in here somewhere, Harry." Liam mocked, and Harry's heart felt as though it did stop when he saw the shadows of three silhouettes underneath his door. 

"We won't hurt you, Harry, we promise!" Louis pathetically remarked, voice low but purposely soft, as he slowly tapped his knuckles on the door. Harry wanted to tell them to leave, but he didn't dare to utter a single word. He almost jumped out of his skin when a sudden kick was hurled at the door, making him feel glad that both his body weight and the door's lock were preventing it from flying open. 

"OPEN THIS DOOR, STYLES!" Louis roared, kicking the door once again, with much more force this time. Harry's chest rose and fell quickly as he silently cried. 

"It's useless," Zayn snapped to the other two, "He's not gonna come out of there."

Louis sighed, "I guess we'll just have to beat the crap out of you tomorrow then, faggot."

And before Harry knew it, he was alone in the bathroom again. He left it a further ten minutes before having the courage to leave.


	5. Chapter Five

Harry arrived ten minutes early to class the next day, meaning he had to patiently wait outside for everyone else to turn up. Niall wasn't there yet either, so Harry sat on a bench outside the classroom door and scrolled through his instagram feed in boredom. 

Luckily, he knew Louis and his gang wouldn't be turning up for a good twenty minutes, seeing as they frequently turned up late. It seemed to be a daily routine of theirs: smoking behind the maths building before strolling in, apology-less, to class. 

"Hey, you're the new guy, right?" A female voice made Harry jump, and his eyes flicked up to see a pretty, blonde girl stood in front of him with a welcoming smile. She had porcelain white skin and large, blue eyes that were lined with long, dark eyelashes. She was like a beautiful China doll.

"I guess I'm still seen as 'new'," Harry chuckled nervously, "I'm Harry."

"My name's Perrie. Perrie Edwards. I've seen you in class before so I decided I'd introduce myself," She grinned, displaying pearly white teeth, "Oh, and I'm sorry about Louis' behaviour around you... he doesn't really like many people." She whispered, after cautiously glancing around, just to make sure he wasn't near them. 

"Oh, I can tell! Is he a friend of yours?" Harry asked, with a soft smile. On the inside, he was terrified about what today would bring when Louis arrived. It was almost inevitable now that he would hurt Harry today.

Perrie sat by Harry's side on the bench, sucking in a harsh breath. "Hate him with a passion, just like everyone else. Never even spoken to him." She admitted. Harry hummed thoughtfully into the quiet, whereas Perrie just sat there. She seemed to be deeply thinking as she stared ahead, at the blank wall. An awkward silence occurred. 

"Have you ever... spoken to Zayn Malik before?" She queried slowly, turning her face in Harry's direction once again after breaking the silence. Harry's heart began lightly thudding in his chest. Just the sheer thought of talking about one of those horrible boys for any longer was enough to make his skin crawl. 

"He's a dickhead." Harry sneered, clenching his jaw as he remembered the black-haired boy. "Just like Louis."

"Oh." Perrie piped, nervously fiddling with her fingers. 

"Why?" Harry wondered, curiously. 

"W-Well, I just think he's kinda hot." She admitted, in no more than a whisper, meeting eyes with Harry so it was evident that she was blushing. A smirk slowly crept onto Harry's face. 

"You like him?" He taunted, playfully. Perrie shrugged and nodded at the same time, before gently sighing. 

"I've never talked to him, I'm too scared." Perrie confessed, in a bashful manner. 

"Maybe he's nice when he's on his own, but definitely not when he's with Louis." Harry rolled his eyes, checking his watch when other students began to arrive. "I think you should try when he's alone, maybe. You're a very pretty girl, I bet he'd like you." Harry complimented with a hopeful smile. Perrie's face broke into a bright smile. 

"Thank you, Harry. It means a lot." Perrie grinned, just as Mr Gordon arrived. He was juggling with a hot cup of tea and the keys to the classroom, managing to twist the lock of the door open. The students poured in, including Niall, who had joined the back of the crowd.

"How are you, Harry?" Niall beamed when the two entered the room together. Before Harry could answer, and before they could take a seat in their usual places, the class was stopped by Mr Gordon. 

"We're having a new seating plan today. Please could you all stand at the back of the room and I will tell you your new seats." He announced, causing the whole classroom to groan in protest. 

The classroom door opened and Louis, Zayn and Liam wandered in, stopping in their tracks with confused expressions to see that everyone stood at the back. Mr Gordon told them about the new seating plan, causing Louis to roll his eyes and lead his gang to the back of the classroom with everyone else. 

"This will be according to surnames." Mr Gordon continued, peering down at the sheet of paper that was now in his hands. As Niall's surname was 'Horan' and Perrie's was 'Edwards', Harry knew that he'd be sat nowhere near them, meaning he would be sat next to someone he most likely didn't know. 

Mr Gordon began seating people. Niall was sat next to a girl with the surname 'Hunt', while Perrie was sat next to somebody Harry didn't know, with the surname of 'Ellens'. 

Louis was glaring Harry down from across the room, but Harry had now learnt to ignore it completely. 

Almost everyone was seated, aside from: Harry, a girl named Hannah, Louis, a girl named Alice and two boys that Harry didn't know. 

"Louis Tomlinson and... Harry Styles."

Harry's mouth immediately flew open, as did Niall's from across the room, when Mr Gordon read the two names. Louis' face fell in annoyance, eyes narrowing, however Harry could have sworn that he saw a hint of a smirk. 

"No fucking way..." Harry breathed to himself, eyes glancing around the room to find absolutely everyone's eyes on him. 

"Come on, hurry up, boys." Mr Gordon rushed them, impatiently snapping his fingers. Harry and Louis exchanged looks - Harry looking absolutely petrified, whereas Louis was looking all smug, as per usual. They went to their directed seat, in the back left corner of the room. Harry sat nearest to the wall and Louis sat on his left, punching Harry's leg, hard, on the way down to his chair, causing Harry to shout an 'oww!'

Harry now had a wall on his right and a wall behind him, a table in front of him and a terrifying bully on his left. He was completely boxed in.

"I'm not comfortable with sitting this close to someone gay." Louis muttered, more to himself than anybody else. Harry breathed in sharply, wondering whether Louis could actually sense that Harry wasn't straight, or something. 

The confined space meant that Louis' right thigh was pressed against Harry's left, as were their upper arms. Harry literally wanted to kill himself there and then. He wanted to evaporate out of the building, just as long as he got as far away from Louis Tomlinson as possible. 

Harry shifted his chair as far as he could towards the wall, away from Louis, but there was no room at all. Despite the icy weather outside, both the indoor heating and temperature radiating from Louis' body combined to have Harry already wiping perspiration off his forehead. 

"Am I that hot that you're sweating?" Louis smirked cockily, making eye contact with Harry. The eyeliner around Louis' eyes brought out the electric blue in them, and Harry had to quickly look away as he started blushing. 

"You're not hot." Harry argued, under his breath. He heard Louis snicker a laugh by his side. 

"You probably finger yourself to the thought of me every night." He mumbled, causing Harry's eyes to fly open in disgust. 

"What the fuck?! That's disgusting!" He exclaimed, eyes wide and mouth agape. Everybody turned in their seats at Harry's response, including Niall, who wore a very sorry, sympathetic expression. 

"Harry Styles, go and stand outside!" Mr Gordon demanded. "Now!"

"Move." Harry breathed madly, as Louis blocked his exit. Harry's blood was already boiling and he really couldn't be bothered with Louis' cockiness right now. Louis slowly shifted out of the way when Mr Gordon gave him a hard stare. 

"It's true, though, isn't it?" Louis whispered, as Harry passed, causing Harry to purposely make a fake heaving noise before heading out of the classroom. 

He wouldn't be able to handle this every single day. 

\- - -

"Why did you react like that in the middle of class?" Niall queried, with a hint of humor, as they sat in the school's canteen at lunch. 

"Because Louis Tomlinson is disgusting!" Harry yelled, not caring that everyone could probably hear them. 

"What did he say?" Niall grilled, causing Harry's eyes to shut and a humourless, breathy laugh to leave his lips. 

"I'm not repeating it, Ni."


	6. Chapter Six

It was Wednesday morning, and Harry woke up with an awful feeling in the pit of his stomach when he remembered that he now had to sit next to Louis in class. Nobody in the world, not even all of Harry's past enemies combined, were as bad as Louis Tomlinson. It was like Louis made it his daily aim the moment he met Harry to torment and bully him constantly. 

Harry's hair was soft, having showered the night before. He picked out some bright blue skinny jeans -- although they weren't classed as 'skinny' because nowadays, skinny jeans appeared to be absolutely skintight.

Harry also threw on a bright, white t-shirt and paired it all with some red Vans. As he had quite a creative and eccentric mind, he enjoyed wearing bright clothing to reflect it.

After using the bathroom and brushing his teeth, he stood in front of his mirror, staring at his reflection. "Today will be a good day. Today will be a good day." He repeated, about ten times, before leaving his bedroom. He passed the room of Gemma, his older sister, who he rarely saw because she always seemed to clear off on wacky holidays away with her friends. She was back now for a year, which made Harry happy.

He jogged down the stairs, finding his mum, Anne, at the breakfast table. 

"Morning, Harry," She greeted, happily, "Excited for school?"

"Ecstatic." Harry spat out - sarcastically, of course. Anne gave him a tough glare as he took a seat on a wooden chair opposite her.

"Why aren't you happy, Harry? You usually love going to school." She spoke with full concern, placing her hand over her son's on the tabletop. 

"Well that was before I moved to this school, mum." Harry admitted, quietly. 

"What's changed then, darling?" She quizzed, furrowing her eyebrows. "Are you being bullied or something?"

Harry's heart started wildly beating in his chest as flashbacks of Louis hurting him played back in his head like a broken record. Now would have been the perfect opportunity to open up to his mum and cry his eyes out about Louis Tomlinson, but he just couldn't. He couldn't push himself to tell her.

"No, course not!" He fibbed, "I'm just tired, that's all." 

Anne gave an understanding yet relieved smile, patting Harry's hand before standing up. "You need to be getting to school now, honey."

Harry wanted to deny going, but he couldn't. In his mum's eyes, school was going just fine for Harry.

\- - -

Surprisingly, Harry strolled into class to find that Louis was already there, sat in his new seat. 

'He's probably doing it so he can annoy me by blocking me from getting to my seat.' Was Harry's initial thought, until Louis got up with a smirk and allowed Harry to scoot across into his seat. 

"Morning, Curly." Louis whispered, seeming to sit far too close so Harry was practically squished against the wall. Harry ignored the greeting, and the stupid, new nickname.

"You're supposed to reply..." Louis hinted, sternly, kicking Harry under the table so he yelped quietly. 

"Yeah, morning, whatever. And don't call me that name." Harry growled, shutting his eyes and inhaling. All he could smell was the faint scent of cigarettes from Louis, followed by a very strong smell of aftershave that had obviously been unsuccessfully used to cover up the first scent. Louis was all that Harry could smell and feel, against him.

This thought, for some strange reason, made Harry's stomach flip again. The emotion was still undetectable. 

"Hey, Harry!" Niall called back to his friend, after taking a seat at the front of the class.

"Hi, Niall!" Harry yelled back, enthusiastically.

"How come you reply when _he_ says it, but not me?" Louis had a smug look on his face again, as if he already predicted the answer. 

"Because, one: I actually tolerate him, and two: he didn't address me with "Morning, Curly!"' Harry mocked Louis' voice, not daring to connect eyes with him, though. Louis didn't reply then, and was surprisingly silent for a long while of the lesson. 

Actually, Louis spent most of the lesson humming to himself and drumming his pencil on the table, which was really getting on Harry's nerves, but they soon luckily reached the end of the lesson. 

"Before you pack away, I just need to tell you your new project," Mr Gordon stopped everybody in their footsteps. Harry rolled his eyes, resting his chin on the back of his hand. 

"It will be in the pairs you are sat in, and you will have to meet up in your own time-"

Immediately, the entire class erupted into hot debate, especially Harry. 

"Nope. No way. Never in a million years." Harry scoffed, while Louis sat there looking pretty happy with himself. 

"Okay, everyone, settle down!" Mr Gordon demanded, loudly. The arguing slowly died away until it was silent again. "You all need to learn to respect one another if you're going to do well in life. You're meeting up in your own time, you've got until Friday, and that's final!"

After a further of five minutes of protesting from the class, Mr Gordon announced that their project was going to be on poetry. Surprise, surprise. Harry didn't know how he was going to cope, being forced to see Louis outside of school. He wanted to die.

"I bet you're excited, aren't you, curly?" Louis breathed, annoyingly. Harry rolled his eyes. He restrained himself from snapping at Louis to stop the stupid nickname, and instead concentrated on leaving the classroom. 

\- - -

"How was school, honey?" Anne asked, when Harry walked through the front door. Harry didn't reply. Instead, he shot her a deathly look before stomping up the stairs, without even bothering to remove his shoes. Anne raised her eyebrows, shocked by the sudden change in Harry's attitude. 

Harry stormed into his bedroom, sitting on his bed and throwing his head into his hands. He combed his fingers through his curls, rocking slightly. Mr Gordon just didn't understand how spiteful and horrible Louis Tomlinson really was. If he knew, he wouldn't have forced Harry to see Louis outside of class.

Around ten minutes later, after Harry had been sat in the same position for the entire time, there was a quick, clear knock at Harry's bedroom door. He sighed deeply.

"Come in."

The door creaked open and Harry's sister, Gemma, walked in. Her sandy brown hair was scooped up into a messy bun and she wore tracksuit bottoms and a baggy t-shirt, as though she had been lounging at home all day.

"Mum said you're unhappy so I came to investigate." She sighed, perching herself on the edge of his bed. Harry rolled onto his stomach on his bed, digging his face into a pillow. 

"Whatever." He mumbled against it. He heard Gemma sigh again. 

"What is it this time, Haz?" She queried, resting a comforting hand on his shoulder. He groaned in protest into the pillow, shrugging away from her touch. "C'mon, Harry, you need to tell me."

He lifted his head from the pillow quickly, turning to look at her. "It's just school, okay?!" He exclaimed in frustration. 

"Alright," She said gently, "What about it? Are people making fun of your sexuality again?"

"N-No, it's just... I've been partnered with a boy that I really hate to do a project."

Gemma's eyebrows raised in realisation. "Ah! Happened to me a lot while I was in school. I'm guessing this is a project you have to do outside of school, then, eh?"

"Yup." Harry breathed, popping the 'p'. 

"Well who is it then? The guy that you hate."

"Louis. Louis Tomlinson." Harry spat out the name as if it was dirt. It was dirt. 

"Is he mean or just annoying?"

"He's mean, spiteful, violent, annoying and so damn COCKY!" Harry unleashed his bottled up annoyance for Louis Tomlinson by shouting the last word, causing Gemma to jump.

"Oh, umm, okay... what does he do to annoy you?" She questioned.

"He calls me stupid names, now he's started calling me 'curly', and he keeps pushing me against the walls and hurting me and it's getting on my nerves!" Harry informed her angrily. Gemma stopped in her words before they left her mouth, trying to put her next sentence carefully. 

"Harry... do you think Louis has a crush on you?" She asked slowly, and Harry's eyes practically popped out of his skull. He acted surprised, but this was mostly because she was the second person, after Niall, to detect this.

"What?! Of course not!" Harry yelled, "He's definitely not gay!"

Gemma's face scrunched into a thinking expression. "Has he ever criticised you for being gay? You know, without you telling him?"

**"Faggot."**

**"Queer."**

**"Am I that hot that you're sweating?"**

**"You probably finger yourself to the thought of me every night."**

Harry breathed out slowly. He was tempted to lie and say no, but he wanted Gemma's honest opinion on this, seeing as she took a degree in psychology when she went to university.

"Yes." He said.

"I think he has feelings for you, or at least thinks you're good looking. If he hurts you then that's probably because he wants to inflict a reaction from you, and wants your attention." She broke it to him. 

Oh god. Harry hoped not.

Harry said nothing more about the matter, however Gemma was persistent to know more. 

"What does he look like?"

"Ugly." Harry snarled. 

"Can I see a picture?" She asked.

Harry sighed, reaching under his bed and pulling out his laptop. "Fine. I have to message him anyway about this bloody project." Harry rolled his eyes, switching the laptop on and going on to Google. He typed 'Facebook' into search bar and then searched for Louis' name, which was the first result. 

He clicked on the profile photo, which looked as though ot had been done as a photoshoot. Louis was looking to the side of the photo and his cheekbones were beautifully prominent, with eyes so blue that they made Harry shiver. 

"Wow, Harry, do you not think he's hot?!" Gemma exclaimed in disbelief, as she stared wide-eyed at the picture. Harry's stomach flipped. Again.

"N-No, not at all."

"Not even a teensy bit cute?" She smirked. Harry had a flashback to his first ever opinion on Louis, which was that he had a cute face. 

"Nope." Harry spat.

On Harry's laptop, the notification of a Facebook message popped up.

From Louis.

 **Louis Tomlinson:** _hey faggot, we need to organise where we're meeting so you can do all the work tomorrow._

Gemma's eyebrows raised as she read the message, whereas Harry just rolled his eyes. 

"He seems... stuck up." Gemma admitted. 

**Harry Styles:** _I couldn't care less._

 **Louis Tomlinson:** _You could come to my house after school tomorrow?_

"Oh god, I'd rather cut off my own face than go to his house. He'll probably rape me!" Harry scoffed. 

"Harry!" Gemma exclaimed, with a loud laugh. "I'm sure he's not that bad!"

"I'll just go and see how it goes. If I get murdered, I'm blaming you!" Harry giggled, before Gemma pulled him into a hug and kissed his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longest chapter so far ;) What do you guys think so far? I know having a partnered project is reeeally common for fanfics but this is needed.


	7. Chapter Seven

"Good luck today, mate," Niall muttered in Harry's ear as they both walked into class. Harry was definitely going to need it, too. He had tried several more times to wriggle his way out of going to Louis' house after school but Gemma was always the one who forced him to go again. 

It was like she wanted Harry to like Louis. 

The smug, eyeliner-wearing boy was on time, for the second day in a row now, sat in his seat. He stood, allowing Harry to get into his own chair, before sitting down again. 

"I hope you're ready to do all the work later, curly." Louis whispered in his ear, and this made Harry's spine tingle after Gemma's analysis the previous evening. If Louis did like him, that was a whole lot of awkwardness right there. 

"Whatever." Harry breathed. 

"I bet you're excited to be sat alone in my bedroom with me, aren't you?" Louis smirked. Here we go again: the gay comments. 

"No, I would rather sit inside an active volcano." Harry smiled sourly, resting his chin on the palm of his hand.

"Okay, class," Mr Gordon began, clearing his throat, "As you all know, this evening is when you will all have to do your projects, as tomorrow is Friday. These are worth 40% of your overall literature grade for English so you need to put a lot of effort in."

"I'm gonna be getting a good  grade then, seeing as it'll be you putting in the effort." Louis whispered, casually stretching his arms out in front of him.

"I could just purposely fail us both," Harry mumbled, "But I'm not that mean."

"Boys, I'm curious to know which aspect of your conversation is more important than what I have to say." Mr Gordon raised an annoyed eyebrow, leaning on one hip with crossed arms. Harry was about to say 'Nothing, Sir' but Louis cut him off.

"Harry was just telling me how he thought about me last night while he pleasured himself, Sir."

Harry's eyes flew open, as did his mouth, while the whole class exploded into laughter. Harry's whole face blushed red.

"You two, go and stand outside, please. I'll have a word with you later." Mr Gordon snapped, pointing to the door as he glared at Harry and Louis. Harry, whose face was now flushed completely red, followed Louis out of the classroom, trying to ignore the snickers as he passed. The moment they were in the corridor and the classroom door was shut, Harry was mad. Very mad.

"What the fuck did you say that for?!" He raged, eyes wild and fists clenched. 

Louis stifled a laugh, admiring his nails as he replied, "Because it's probably true."

"Why are you like this?" Harry muttered, "What do you get out of doing this?"

"Dunno," Louis smirked, eyes meeting Harry's. There was a small silence, before Louis shoved Harry against the wall and punched him in the jaw.

"Haven't hurt you in a while, had to make up for it." Louis explained, evilly, while harry winced and rubbed his face. 

\- - -

Harry was stood outside Louis' house. Gemma had dropped him off, even after Harry told her about Louis punching him in the face, and she was parked on the curb, waiting for him to knock. 

Harry rolled his eyes, knocking sternly. The house was pretty nice from the outside. It was a white two-storey town house with a light blue front door and grand, arched windows on either side of the door. Harry was shaking when the door opened, to reveal a blonde girl who looked to be around fifteen. 

She inspected him closely before a soft smile crept onto her face. "Hello there, are you Louis' friend?" She quizzed. 

"W-Well, not really," Harry chuckled nervously, causing the girl to slowly frown. "We're, umm, doing a project together."

"Ah, okay..." She nodded. 

"Is he here?"

"LOUIS!" The girl screamed up the stairs, making Harry physically jump. 

"What?!" He yelled back, from upstairs. 

"A GUY'S HERE FOR YOU!"

"Tell him to come up, then!" Louis responsed, voice sounding reasonably neutral. 

"He's in his room, third room on the left. I'm Lottie, by the way, his sister." She grinned. Harry wanted to hug her and tell her it's okay, seeing as she was involuntarily siblings with Louis, but he restrained his stupid thought. 

"I'm Harry, nice to meet you." He smiled, giving a small nod before wiping his feet on the doormat and stepping inside. Lottie shut the front door behind him and wandered off, into another room. Harry slipped off his trainers, leaving them by the stairs, before walking awkwardly to the first floor, up the carpeted stairs. The house smelt of vanilla and had many family photos scattered over the walls. Harry tried not to look at a young Louis on holiday in Disney World for too long. He stopped outside the directed room, knocking clearly. The knock resembled his heart, which was thudding against his ribcage. 

"Come in." Louis' stern voice called out from inside. Harry awkwardly creaked the door open, so it opened into a room with light blue walls and light wood flooring. There was a wardrobe on the left of the door, a desk on the right, and a bed underneath a window in the centre of the room, which Louis sat on, on a laptop. 

"Hey, faggot," He greeted, nonchalantly, not even bothering to withdraw his eyes from the bright screen. 

"H-Hi." Harry stuttered, pulling his bag's strap further up his shoulder. Louis' eyes flicked up to meet Harry's, which were nervously taking in the surprisingly tidy bedroom. 

"Got the folder?" He queried to Harry, referring to the one that they had been handed by Mr Gordon. Harry sheepishly nodded. 

"Uh, where should I sit?" Harry asked quietly, seeing a swivel chair in front of the desk but figuring he'd ask anyway. 

Louis' eyes flickered from Harry, to the ground. "On the floor." This surprised Harry, but it really shouldn't have. Harry exhaled harshly as he nodded, knowing he couldn't protest because he was at Louis' house and Louis' rules. 

He lowered himself onto the floor, sitting cross-legged with his bag in his lap, before he heard Louis snicker a laugh. 

"What?" Harry asked, confused.

"You actually sat on the floor." Louis laughed. Harry felt his cheeks heat up. "Sit up here with me, I'm not that mean, curly." Louis patted the covers of his bed, causing Harry's stomach to flip. Damn emotions. 

Harry scrambled to his feet and perched himself on the edge of the bed, sheepishly lifting his legs and sitting cross-legged again, this time on the bed.

"I'm guessing you're the submissive type, doing as you're told." Louis said casually, causing Harry's heart to start racing. Did Louis mean that sexually? Harry decided not to reply, leaving the statement lingering unanswered in the tense room.

Harry's knee was touching Louis', but Louis' attention was now on his laptop screen again. 

Harry rummaged through his bag, retrieving the folder and waving it around to get Louis' attention. 

"Get on with it, then," Louis sighed with a smirk, still not bothered enough to look up from his computer. Harry rolled his eyes and opened the folder, grabbing a pen and sitting against the headboard of the bed, by Louis' side.

Harry began wondering why Louis couldn't have just told him to do the project himself at his own house, instead of having to invite him round.

He began scribbling down notes while Louis typed away at his laptop. While Harry was writing, he had an urge to glance up at Louis' screen to see that he was on Facebook. He was talking to Hannah Walker - a girl from their class.

 **Louis Tomlinson:** Up for it then babe? ;) xxx

 **Hannah Walker:** As long as u promise 2 fuck me real good like last time ;) xox

Harry's eyes widened. His stomach flipped again, but this time it felt like... jealousy. No, he didn't like Louis one bit, yet he was somehow jealous. He quickly looked away again before Louis saw him looking, and pretended he was reading something from the booklet. 

Louis began humming along to The Fray, as he shut his laptop lid, finally bringing himself back into the real world. Harry could feel Louis looking at him, but he ignored it and tried to write more, failing by freezing in his actions. 

Luckily, Louis took his attention away from Harry by opening a drawer of his bedside table and pulling out some makeup wipes. He grabbed a handheld mirror and got a makeup wipe out, using the mirror to see his reflection as he removed the thick layer of eyeliner from underneath his eyes. When he was done, Harry couldn't stop staring. Louis just looked so... normal... without eyeliner. He looked far less tough, and actually looked quite beautiful, even though Harry didn't want to admit it to himself. 

"What're you looking at?" Louis snapped, furrowing his eyebrows at Harry. 

"Oh, uh, nothing-"

"Are you staring at me because you're gay?" Louis spat out the final word in disgust. Harry's whole body pounded along with his heart as he was unable to comprehend an answer. 

"I-I... umm..."

"Well?" Louis pushed. 

"So what if I'm gay?" The sentence slipped from Harry's mouth before he could stop it, and he had never seen Louis' eyes go so wide in his whole life. There was a thick, unbreakable silence as Louis just stared at Harry, wide-eyed. 

"S-So..." Louis muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose, "You are gay."

"Well, yeah, but that's not why I was staring-"

"Leave my house." Louis breathed, disgust filling his tone. Harry felt as though his heart tore in half. 

"Come on, Louis, you're being childish-"

"NOW!" Louis roared. Harry fearfully jumped to his feet, hastily packing away his things into his satchel bag. He left that room quicker than he believed was possible, speeding down the stairs and slipping on his shoes before exiting the house. 

Why the hell did he tell Louis his sexuality?


	8. Chapter Eight

"It's okay, Harry, I'm sure he just over exaggerated," Gemma reassured, rubbing Harry's back as she wiped his tears with her sleeve. He had phoned her the moment he was out of Louis' house, so she came to pick him up again, and told her what happened, then he was crying all the way home in the car. Even though blurting it out to Louis was partly Harry's fault, he still couldn't understand how Louis could be so rude about it. It was like having someone gay in his home was going to contaminate it, in Louis' eyes. 

"B-But he made me l-leave and now he's gonna beat me up at school!" Harry sobbed, as they sat on a sofa in the living room. Harry hadn't told his mum what happened because he knew she'd contact their headteacher about it and matters would only get even worse. 

"If he even lays a finger on you, Harry, I want to know about it!" Gemma warned, clearly not very happy at all that her little brother was being bullied. "Then he can deal with me!"

"Gem, what you don't understand is that he's not scared of anyone." Harry sniffed.

"Well, he should be scared of me if he decides to hurt you again!"

"I appreciate your help but I think I'll be able to handle it." Harry lied. Of course he wouldn't be able to handle it. He knew he was instantly going to get hurt by Louis but just wasn't going to tell her, because he was worried Louis would tease him even more about getting a girl to defend him.

"If you're sure, Harry," Gemma breathed, "Remember, you can always tell me anything. Okay?"

"Thanks, Gem."

\- - -

The moment Harry walked into the main school building, his paranoia told him that everyone was staring at him but in reality they weren't. He wouldn't have been terribly surprised if Louis declared his newly found fact about Harry to the entire school, to be honest. 

When Harry walked through the classroom door, Louis wasn't there yet. Harry scurried over to his empty table, taking a seat and hoping with all of his heart that Louis had decided to take the day off, as it was a Friday. It became clear that this wasn't the fact when Louis and his gang burst in, halfway through Mr Gordon's speech about their projects. 

Louis' eyes fell onto Harry immediately as he made his way over. His glare was intense, as it had been on the first few days of him knowing Harry, and he said nothing as he took a seat by Harry - not even his usual, obnoxious greeting of 'Morning, Faggot.'

Harry's heart was beating like a hammer against cloth as Mr Gordon began talking again. 

"Did you finish the project?" Louis whispered, making Harry jump. 

"Yeah," Harry muttered. He was partly hoping that Louis had forgotten about Harry's confession, but that was a stupid thing to think. After no conversation between the boys, around three minutes later, Harry heard Louis draw in a slow, shaky breath through his mouth before exhaling at the same speed through his mouth. Harry felt like he wanted to apologise for what he blurted out but it wasn't his fault, and it was who he is.

A girl at the front of the class, who Harry believed was called Anna, turned in her chair to look at Louis. She smirked and winked at him before turning around again. About a minute later, Louis' phone vibrated against the plastic chair. He pulled it out, as Harry watched secretly, and unlocked it to read a new text message. 

**Anna♥:** You look hot babe. Me, you, bathroom at break? ;) xxxx

Harry felt like he was going to be sick. Louis was messing around with so many different girls, and Harry could tell by the interactions he constantly had with numerous girls, plus his message to Hannah yesterday. 

"Why do you hook up with so many different girls?" The question blurted from Harry's lips before he could stop it, causing Louis' eyes to flick up to meet his. Louis gave him a hard glare as he slid his phone away again.

"Why do you care?" Louis growled, although there was a playful tone in his voice. Harry didn't know how to reply, so he simply shrugged. Mr Gordon shushed them.

"Do you care because you're jealous?" Louis asked lowly, and Harry felt his breath hitch in his throat when Louis' hand skimmed his lower thigh under the table. 

"Get off," Harry muttered, trying to shift away from Louis but getting stopped by the wall.

"Why else would you ask?" Louis smirked, once again moving his hand onto Harry's thigh, this time leaving it there, mid-thigh. Harry's breathing had sped up and his pulse had thickened, as Louis' hand began slowly rubbing up and down his thigh. 

"L-Louis, stop it." Harry stuttered, in nothing more than a whisper. Louis gave a squeeze to Harry's upper thigh, causing the curly-haired boy to gasp, so Louis laughed breathlessly. 

"Why?" Louis grilled seductively, "Getting turned on?"

Harry felt like he was going to explode from the number of emotions flooding his body. Shock, disgust, bewilderment, and shamefully: arousal.

"J-Just get off me." Harry begged,  in half a whisper now, trying again but failing to wriggle away from Louis' hand. Catching him by surprise, Louis' hand moved upwards and squeezed Harry's crotch, emitting a soft whimper from Harry's plump lips. 

It was too quiet for anyone else to hear, but Louis sure heard it. He stopped immediately in his movements, withdrawing his hand speedily from under the table. 

"I'm sorry." He apologised in a rough, husky tone.

Harry couldn't quite register what the fuck just happened. 

\- - -

Harry took a deep breath in the canteen, as Niall waited for the flustered boy to explain why he was blushing so hard for the majority of lunchtime. 

"Well?" Niall coaxed. 

"Umm... Louis sort of, like, started feeling up my leg, a-and he got a bit... high up..." Harry hinted, gesturing downwards with his head. Niall's eyes flew open. 

"No way," He breathed, "He touched you through your clothes?"

When Harry thought of it like this, he couldn't think straight. He had gone further with Louis than anyone else he had ever met. 

"I don't think he meant it, it just kinda happened." Harry shrugged. He couldn't get over the roughness of Louis' tone afterwards, when he apologised, because it was as though he knew what he was doing and it was affecting him.

"Can I tell you something, Harry?" Niall queried, in a hushed tone.

"Go for it."

"Louis used to get criticised because, well, people thought he was gay," Niall began, urging Harry's eyebrows to raise, "Because he always checked out other boys in the changing room."

Harry felt like Niall was making this story up. How could someone like Louis be seen as gay?

"How come, though? He seems to be constantly seeing girl after girl..." Harry responded, confused. 

Niall let out a quick laugh. "This is where it gets interesting, my friend. Louis didn't start bedding girls until the gay rumours got around. Now he's always seen with a new girl on his fuck list."

Harry was trying to take in all of what Niall was telling him.

"So... Louis didn't start sleeping with all these girls until he was suspected of being gay?" Harry asked slowly. 

"That's right, and that's why I think he has a thing for you." Niall concluded. Harry slowly rubbed his hands down his face, all while letting out a slow, frustrated groan. God, Harry was starting to believe this now.

"But he hurts me, so he can't exactly expect me to like him back, can he? That is, if he even likes me."

"The more he hurts you, the more time he spends around you." Niall inspected. As if on cue, Louis walked into the canteen with Liam and Zayn behind trailing obediently him. Louis held eye contact with Harry for at least five seconds before leading his gang up to the counter. 

If Louis was gay, Harry was the queen of England.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo, pretty important chapter here, guys. E n j o y

Harry said nothing to Gemma about what Niall had mentioned about Louis. He knew she'd just overreact and start calling him a hypocrite and that was going to get them nowhere. If she were to say this, though, and if louis really was gay, it would definitely be very true. For him to waltz around the school calling Harry a faggot and making extraordinarily inappropriate comments was unacceptable -- let alone feeling Harry up!

Harry stood in the hallway with Niall, a good distance away from Louis, who stood with Zayn and Liam on the other side of the corridor. Louis didn't physically look like somebody who was homosexual, even though you could never really determine someone's sexuality from their appearance or personality. He just acted so tough and manly, so Harry couldn't believe the rumours. 

Louis glanced over at Harry, staring for what seemed like a split second before looking down at his feet. At least he wasn't beating the shit out of him, as usual. Maybe what happened yesterday changed him a bit. 

"Can I have everyone's attention, please?" A popular girl, named Katie, called out, doing as she insisted. "I'm having a huge house party tonight and I want every single person possible to come! Details are on my Facebook."

Harry was never the partying type; especially at the big house parties. They never had many parties back in Cheshire, and the only celebrations Harry ever attended were family gatherings. Niall, however, was ecstatic about Katie's party.

"Awesome! Finally, some fun around here!"

Harry chuckled nervously, causing Niall to turn to him. "Oh... do you not want to go?"

"No, I do, it's just-"

"Then we'll go!" Niall concluded, voice full of determination. Harry couldn't exactly deny it now. 

For the rest of the day, people didn't stop fussing about the bloody party. There were groups of people discussing what they were planning on wearing, others on how they were getting there, and others planning on who they were hoping to sleep with. Harry was probably the only one planning on how to get out of going, full stop.

\- - -

Niall: I'll pick u up from ur house at 8 :)

Niall sure seemed determined. Harry was stood in front of his wardrobe, staring at his clothes. All the things he possessed were brightly coloured items: bright blue jeans, bright red jeans, bright t-shirts, and nothing that would be associated with a huge teenage party, hosted by one of the most popular people at school.

He decided on a pair of bright blue skinny jeans, pairing them with a plain red short-sleeved t-shirt and white converse. What else could he wear? Besides, red was his favourite colour after all.

It was nearing 8 o'clock and Harry was worrying now. He wasn't just worrying about the fact that there would be alcohol and over 300 teenagers there, but mainly because Louis might have been going too. He was stood in the corridor when Katie made the announcement, and he definitely seemed like someone who wouldn't turn down a chance to get drunk and have a good time. 

When it was bang on 8 o'clock, Niall arrived in a silver Jaguar.  Harry lied to his mum and sister, telling them he was going to Niall's house to revise, and then he jogged out to Niall's car.

"Cool ride," He complimented as he climbed in, shutting the door behind him. 

"Cool, right? My dad let me borrow it for tonight." Niall grinned, turning off from the curb and onto the road. There was silence then, so Niall switched on the radio and a new song came on, which Harry was too apprehensive to enjoy. 

They soon arrived, outside the large house. There was a group of smokers outside, with their empty bottles of beer lined up on the brick wall. Harry turned his nose up as he passed them, with Niall walking into the house, trying hard not to cough in their faces due to the unpleasant wave of smoke that hit his face. 

The moment they walked into the house, Harry regretted going. There were flashing lights that blinded him beyond belief, and there appeared to be no room to walk around inside due to the sheer number of people dancing in the middle of the living room to overly loud music.

"Come on," Niall tugged on the hem of Harry's t-shirt, "We'll go and stand in the kitchen."

Niall fought their way through the crowd, as Harry trailed behind, far too vulnerable to lead them both. There must have been just under ten people who tried to grip Harry and Niall up, just from their journey from the living room to the kitchen. It made Harry feel uncomfortable but not anywhere near as uncomfortable as when Louis did it, in class.

They reached the kitchen, where a few people were grabbing cans from the fridge, and a couple openly snogged and grinded on each other in the corner. Harry raised his eyebrows in disgust but looked away. At least it was quieter in there.

"Want a beer, Hazza?" Niall queried from in the fridge, casually rummaging through the array of cans and bottles inside. 

"No, I don't drink," Harry confessed, as quietly as possible, "Just a lemonade will do for me." He pointed out a can that he spotted on the shelf. Niall nodded slowly, grabbing it, cracking it open and passing it to Harry. Niall grabbed a can of Fosters before shutting it. Harry idly sipped from the lemonade, making awkward eye contact with a slutty looking girl, who watched him with a smirk. 

Harry blushed red, fast looking away before it became awkward. Niall stifled a laugh, clearly sensing that Harry felt awkward, before the girl - whose face was caked with makeup and dress short and showy - shifted closer to Harry. She placed a hand on his shoulder, causing Harry almost to choke on his lemonade.

"Alright, babe? Looking for a fuck?" She purred, and Harry's eyes flew open. Niall was facing the other way, face redening as he attempted to hold in his laughter. 

"No. Go away, please." Harry replied, far more confident than he expected himself to be. The girl pouted, over-dramatically groaning in annoyance before stomping away in her high heels.

"Your first experience with a thirsty slut!" Niall chipped in, before bursting out into contagious laughter. Harry slapped him on the arm, telling him to shut up.

"We all must go through it, mate, it's happened to me!" Niall cackled. Harry took another sip of his lemonade, all before realising that he had an uncontainable urge to pee.

"Niall, where's the toilet?" He asked, slamming his unfinished can onto the kitchen counter. 

"I dunno, upstairs somewhere?" Niall guessed, giving a careless shrug. "If you're going, I'll be in the garden."

Harry nodded, no longer caring that Niall, his 'bodyguard', wasn't leading him through the thick crowd. He dodged his way through sweaty teenagers, apologising in the process, making his way towards the hallway as the bass boomed through his body. He got to the staircase, avoiding a couple kissing on the bottom step, and he jogged to the first floor. There were so many doors that Harry figured frantically opening them all would eventually find the bathroom. 

The first one was an empty bedroom. The second one contained a couple, making out. The third one contained three teenagers, passed out with empty cans and bottles surrounding them. 

But when Harry opened the door to the fourth room, he almost fell backwards in shock. His stomach dropped. His palms became sweaty. His heart began racing. His eyes rapidly took in the scene. 

Louis. Louis was topless, lying on top of a **boy.** They were roughly kissing, both lacking a t-shirt, but stopping upon hearing the door open. Louis looked up and his face paled so fast that he looked like he had seen a ghost. Harry remained in the doorway, too shocked to move. Louis scrambled to grab his t-shirt, tugging it on and jumping up off the bed. For a second, Louis stared at Harry. Harry stared at Louis. 

"I-I'm drunk." Louis stuttered out, pathetically, into the tense silence. Harry felt like smirking at the power he had at that moment, but he didn't. 

"You're not drunk," Harry whispered. The other boy had very awkwardly pulled on his t-shirt too, and was passing Harry to leave the room. Harry could hear Louis' uneven breathing. 

"L-Listen," Louis swallowed, "My mind is blank right now and my vision is really blurry and I think I'm drunk."

Harry cocked an eyebrow at Louis' unbelievable excuse. "Yet sober enough to successfully stand without falling?"

Louis stormed forwards, grabbing Harry by the collar. The curly-haired boy couldn't help but notice the fresh love bite on Louis' neck, and it made him shiver. With one swift action, Louis punched Harry around the face. 

"What the fuck?! Get off!" Harry yelled, pushing Louis backwards. Louis didn't even stumble. He wasn't even a little bit drunk. 

"No one's gonna hear about this!" Louis demanded, lividly, "I'm not sober."

Harry turned away quickly, feeling like the urge to use the toilet had died down after being distracted. Distracted by the fact that Louis Tomlinson was gay.


	10. Chapter Ten

Harry was trying to contemplate whether or not to tell Niall about what had happened. He wasn't quite sure whether Niall was the type of person who loved to gossip and if Louis heard the rumour going around school then he'd immediately know that Harry had slipped up and told someone. That wouldn't end well.

Harry was a lot more apprehensive about entering the school building today than usual. He was more afraid about how awkward it was going to be than anything else worth worrying about.

"Hey, party animal!" Niall greeted with a smirk, poking Harry from behind so he practically jumped out of his skin. 

"Hi," Harry chuckled, "How are you feeling?"

"Like shit." Niall grumbled, placing a hand over his forehead. "Head's pounding."

"It's your fault." Harry sang, smugly. As Niall searched for a reply in his hangover-clogged mind, Harry's heart began thudding after spotting Louis, Liam and Zayn strolling around the corner. Louis was brave to still come into school, after the commotion yesterday. He looked a bit too overconfident, so this told Harry that he was probably using this as a way to show that he didn't care about what had happened last night. 

He made eye contact with Harry for a brief moment before smirking, as he passed, then his left eye dropped a wink. Harry's eyes widened. 

"Someone's still keen on you," Niall muttered, with a smirk, nudging Harry suggestively. If only he knew why Louis was acting so cocky and strange. 

Soon enough, class began. Harry jogged in first, so as not to have to awkwardly allow Louis to let him pass. Louis walked in five minutes late, with his gang, and held the eye contact with Harry until he sat down. 

"Morning," Louis sang, pulling out his tattered pencil and throwing it onto the tabletop. Harry muttered an awkward greeting, pretty annoyed that Louis wasn't in any way phased by the fact that he had been caught roughly kissing another boy. 

Harry's eyes fell onto the red, sore-looking love bite on Louis' neck, which still looked very clear. Louis saw him looking in the corner of his eye, so he proceeded in awkwardly but casually moving his hand up to rest on his neck. 

Harry felt himself shiver at the thought of the other boy, whom he didn't recognise, passionately sucking it onto the smooth, tan skin of Louis' neck as Louis moaned softly...

He had to shut his eyes and exhale slowly in order to get the image out of his head. 

During the rest of the lesson, Harry could only feel Louis' thigh pressed against his, and the feeling of Louis' eyes on the side of his face every now and again.

Harry tried to get out of the classroom quickly at the end but was stopped when Louis lightly shoved him against the wall, in the corridor. 

Niall was held back by Liam and Zayn, as usual, to his protest, as Louis closed in on Harry. His body was pressed against Harry's, from his chest to his legs. 

"Get away, you freak!" Harry wailed, attempting but failing to push Louis off. Louis' face moved to Harry's ear.

"You've not gone and told anyone, have you?" He purred, so his hot breath tickled Harry's neck and caused his breath to hitch high in his throat. 

"N-No." Harry squeaked, truthfully. He was far too nervous right now, as Louis' body pulsed against his, to say anything snappy. 

"Good boy." Louis breathed, causing Harry's pulse to thicken. Louis then moved away, whistling for his friends to follow. 

Why couldn't he have asked Harry during the lesson? Did he just do it here in order to look tough in front of their classmates? 

"Harry, I literally think he gets off on the thought of being that close to you. He literally presses himself against you!" Niall cackled, then his face cracked into another smirk. "Wouldn't be surprise if he'd prefer to be **inside** you."

"Ni-all!" Harry drawled out, scrunching up his nose in disgust, smacking his best friend on the arm. 

"What did he whisper, anyway?"

Harry's heart started thumping as he quickly thought of a response. 

"He... He just said I look good today?" Bad lie. Bad, bad lie. 

Niall stifled a laugh. "And you still don't believe that he has a crush on you? Mate, are you blind?"

"Whatever," Harry rolled his eyes, "Let's go."

\- - -

Harry saw Louis and gang smoking at lunch, from a distance. He just couldn't look at Louis the same anymore, and it was as though the bully didn't even care that Harry knew. Harry had heard the fact in the past: "The most homophobic people are most likely to be secretly gay themselves" but he wasn't sure whether this applied to Louis. He was one of the most homophobic people Harry knew, yet he made such sexual comments that they could suggest he wants to get Harry into his bed. He didn't know what to do anymore. 

When Harry arrived home, his phone buzzed in his pocket. 

**Unknown Number:** Don't fucking tell anyone, okay?

Great, now Louis had his phone number! 

**Harry:** ... How did you get my number...?

He changed the contact name to 'Louis', to save confusion.

 **Louis:** I know a lot of things, Harry. Now tell me, you haven't told anyone... right, faggot? 

**Harry:** You can't exactly call me that now, can you?

Harry smirked down at his phone after responding, seeing that Louis was typing. He stopped typing a few times, probably rewriting his reply, then a message finally came through. 

**Louis:** I'm not gay, Harry.

Here we go with the denial.

**Harry:** If you say so, Louis... 

**Louis:** Because that would be fucking wrong. Wouldn't it? 

Harry locked his phone and didn't reply after that. Louis was pushing the attention back onto Harry again, trying to attempt to shift it off himself. But Harry was not going to forget this, not in a million years.


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second update today because I'm bored. ;)

There were three text messages waiting for Harry when he awoke the next morning. 

**Louis:** Morning faggot (I'm still calling you that.)

 **Louis:** did you think about me last night, huh? ;) x

 **Louis:** oh, I didn't mean to put a kiss... I'm used to putting them to people I actually LIKE. 

Harry rolled his eyes. Now that Louis somehow got his number, he was acting as though they were a couple who texted each other in the morning, however they weren't a couple and the texts weren't what any happy, stable couple would write. 

**Harry:** Can you just delete my number? Because right now it seems as though you actually enjoy talking to me.

He knew it'd get to Louis if he put this, and he was in fact correct. 

**Louis:** I don't want to talk to you, I just enjoy irritating you the best I can. See you at school, faggot.

\- - -

Louis was early today, arriving in class when everyone else came in. This time, however, he didn't move when Harry asked to get past.

"Move." Harry demanded, slowly. Everyone else was seated by now, all except Harry. 

"Only if..." Louis trailed off, face scrunching up in thought. "...You meet me behind the maths building at lunch."

Harry was expecting something stupid, like having to say something bizarre, but definitely not meeting up with Louis. 

"J-Just you?" He faltered. 

"Oh, Liam and Zayn, too," Louis relieved him. God, if it were just Harry and Louis, Harry would have killed himself. He couldn't handle being in a class full of people, sitting by Louis, let alone being alone with him. He managed going to Louis' house, though, even if it did end a little awkwardly.

"Fine," Harry surrendered, passing Louis and taking a seat, "But it better be important."

Louis said nothing more. For the rest of the hour, he just sat there, smirking to himself as he stared forwards. What was he planning? Why did he suddenly want Harry to meet up with him? Was it to discuss the incident at the party? Did Liam and Zayn know about it? So many questions were racing through Harry's mind. By lunchtime, he told Niall he was going to a homework catchup session, which Niall believed. 

Very reluctantly, Harry made his way to the back of the maths building. He was hit by a wave of smoke before he even turned the corner, causing him to cough lightly. Louis, Liam and Zayn were all smoking roll-ups again, having a laugh together and leaning against the brick wall. Harry was wondering why he even turned up now, hoping they weren't all going to relentlessly beat him up. 

"Harry, babe," Louis greeted, smugly, clearly only using the nickname to get a laugh from his friends. Harry blushed one hundred shades of red, stopping around one metre away from the three eyeliner-wearing boys. 

"Looking hot." Louis smirked, again retrieving a chuckle from his friends. Harry couldn't help but wonder whether Louis was secretly being truthful or not.

"Want one?" Louis asked Harry, referring to the roll-ups. Harry's eyes practically popped out of his skull. 

"N-No!" He laughed, nervously, frantically shaking his head.

"Just one drag?" Liam cocked an eyebrow. 

"Or are you a baby?" Zayn mocked, so Harry's cheeks once again heated up.

"I-I'm not a baby, it's just-"

"Then take a fucking drag." Louis smiled, holding his own roll-up in Harry's direction. Harry's eyes diverted between the roll-up and Louis' face several times, before he took hold of it, eyeing it suspiciously. 

"What do I, umm, do?"

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Louis spat, "Put it in your mouth and suck in."

It couldn't sound any easier. Just one drag wouldn't hurt, right?

Harry placed it between his lips, holding it between his thumb and index finger as he breathed in harshly through his mouth, instantly regretting it. He withdrew the blunt hastily, violently coughing and hunching his stomach over as the ashy smoke conflicted with the oxygen in his lungs. 

"Jesus Christ..." Harry retched, looking up to find a smirk on Louis' face, as he idly nibbled his bottom lip, while Liam and Zayn were laughing darkly at the reaction. It only now hit Harry what he was doing. He had just smoked weed. He dropped it on the floor, stepping on it and stomping it down like it was a huge spider he'd found in his bedroom.

"I want to leave." He stated, weakly, voice still hoarse. 

"Stay for a while." Louis persuaded, with a tempting smirk. Harry shut his eyes and shook his head. No. He was fed up with Louis constantly bossing him around. 

"I'm going." He shrugged, turning and beginning to leave when he felt a hand grab tightly onto his wrist. He was surprised to find that it was Liam.

"Come back here, little guy!" He commanded, lowly, shoving Harry against the wall. Zayn took his roll-up and shoved it into Harry's mouth. 

"Go on, breathe it in!" He demanded, holding the blunt to Harry's mouth while Liam held his shoulders down. Harry was spluttering around the roll-up, and every panicked breath he drew in caused more of the toxic air to filter into his lungs. He desperately tried to fight their grip, to no avail. 

"Guys, that's enough now." Louis chipped in, quietly, but he was ignored. Liam and Zayn were far too busy laughing at Harry, who couldn't stop his endless coughing fit. "THAT'S ENOUGH!" Louis yelled, immediately stopping his two best friends from continuing. 

"Harry, you can go," Louis relieved him, while Harry's whole face was red and he couldn't stop coughing. He jogged away, not turning back, feeling absolutely ashamed and shocked. What would his mum think if she found out that he had done such a horrible thing? She'd be truly disgusted, as Harry was with himself. 

\- - -

 **Louis:** Really sorry about Liam and Zayn's unnecessary behaviour before, by the way.

 **Harry:** That was fucking awful for them to do that, and for you to just stand by and watch too. :/

 **Louis:** Some say getting high on weed can be better than having an orgasm sometimes, have you heard? 

Wow...

 **Harry:** Never heard that in my life... and not quite sure why it's relevant. Because it isn't.

 **Louis:** But it wouldn't be better than an orgasm if said orgasm was with me... just saying.

Okay, that wasn't what a straight boy says. 

**Harry:** Are you sure you're not gay?

The scary thing after this message was that Louis didn't reply.


	12. Chapter Twelve

"You haven't told anyone, have you?" Louis growled, quietly, when Harry had taken a seat beside him in the classroom. 

"No, I haven't told anyone about your secret gay experience." Harry snarled. He just wanted to get to Louis and make sure he knew that what he did, drunk or not, was not what an undeniably straight boy does.

"I was drunk." Louis whispered, putting a pause between each word to express his anger and impatience. 

"Yet you remember it all as though it only just happened! Louis, if you were drunk enough to be kissing another boy then your mind would be completely blank and you wouldn't have even remembered it happening." Harry analysed. Louis drew in a quick breath as he thought of a reply. 

"Believe me, I didn't know what I was doing. I didn't mean it, it just kinda happened-"

"So you _weren't_ drunk?" Harry raised his eyebrows, having gotten the response he needed. Louis began tripping on his words, stuttering as he tried to confidently deliver a reply. 

"N-No, well... I don't know, m-maybe?"

Harry sighed, "Just admit it, Louis. I won't judge you. Were you drunk?"

After a small pause, Louis spoke. "No."

"Right," Harry mused, "So you were completely aware of what you were doing?"

Louis looked angry and hurt at this. His eyebrows crinkled and he bit his bottom lip in frustration. 

"Yeah, but doesn't mean I'm gay." He muttered. This boy was unbelievable. 

"Louis..." Harry breathed, "What would have happened if I hadn't walked in?"

Louis hesitated again. He rubbed his hands down his face, leaving them over his face as he responded. "I... I would have fucked him."

Harry felt like a therapist who was helping a troubled, bi-curious boy.

"Is he the first boy you've ever been close to having sex with?" Harry asked, slowly. 

"Yeah... but he's not the first boy I've _wanted_ to have sex with-"

"Boys, stop talking!" Mr Gordon demanded, before Harry could process what Louis had said. 

"Wait... what?" Harry whispered to Louis, having only just filtered what had been said. 

"Harry Styles, I said stop talking!" Mr Gordon spat. 

That shut Harry up, but he still wanted to know what Louis was talking about. He wanted to have sex with a boy? Yeah... definitely straight -- not!

\- - -

Early lunchtime, Harry got a text from Louis. 

**Louis:** Come and meet me and the boys in the same place again, right now.

Niall had gone off to use the toilet, so the coast was clear. Harry sighed before heading in the direction of the maths building. When he arrived, Louis' smirk was prominent. 

"Alright, curly?" He called. "And don't worry, we won't force you into anything today."

Harry blushed and nodded, shyly edging closer and joining their huddle. 

"W-Why are you inviting me, anyway?" Harry asked, sheepishly. Louis simply shrugged, taking a drag from what looked like an average tobacco cigarette today, purposely blowing the smoke straight into Harry's face so he spluttered, and Louis chuckled.

"Harry?!" A recognisable, Irish accent exclaimed, from a few metres away. The four boys turned to find Niall, stood timidly, watching in disbelief. Harry's heart was drumming in his chest as he thought of an excuse. Nothing came to mind. 

"Get rid of him, Harry," Louis whispered in Harry's ear. Harry sympathetically watched as Niall shifted on his feet, trying to act confident but failing. 

"Punch him, Harry." Liam snapped in Harry's ear, quietly. Harry's fisted bawled. His jaw clenched. He took a step towards Niall, who gave him a hopeful smile. 

"I suggest you leave." He warned his friend. Niall's face fell. 

"Harry, what are you talking about?" He gasped. 

"Leave!" Harry yelled. He could sense Louis' smirk radiating from behind him. 

"Harry, what the fuck-" Harry cut any more words off from leaving his friend's mouth as he swung his fist at Niall, hitting him across the jaw. Niall called out in pain, face moving with the impact, and it wasn't now until Harry realised what he had done. Before he could gasp and apologise, Niall was in tears, turning away and running away with his hands over his face.

"Well done, Harry! That told him!" Zayn congratulated, patting the curly-haired boy's back. Harry was going to snap at them for putting peer pressure on him but he didn't. He stayed quiet. 

\- - -

Whenever Harry saw Niall for the rest of the day, he was shot a deathly look and was ignored. As soon as Harry got home, he rapidly texted Niall. 

**Harry:** Niall, I am SO, SO, SO sorry! I don't know what got into me!

 **Niall:** it seems as tho what u WANT to have got into you is louis' dick !!! Why the FUCK were u hanging round with them?! U kno louis likes u cos thats blatantly obvious but now i feel as tho ur liking him back !!!

Oh god, no. Wow.

 **Harry:** No, no, no! He invited me there and I wanted to know what it was about! Never in a million years would I like Louis Tomlinson, not even as a friend! I'm sorry for punching you and I promise I'll never hang out with them or hurt you again. Okay?

 **Niall:** promise? 

**Harry:** I promise, Niall :)

The next time Harry's phone vibrated, it was a text from Louis.

 **Louis:** Wanna hang out again, tomorrow? 

**Harry:** Not particularly. Louis, you hated me. You might still hate me, but I know for a fact that you hated me for the first month, and you made me feel awfully unwelcome by constantly hurting me, calling me names and criticising me. What's changed? Why are you suddenly trying to befriend me? Here's a fact for you: I still hate you. I'm not going to forgive you for the sheer number of times you've intentionally and violently hurt and humiliated me, or made fun of my sexuality. I don't care if YOU are gay or not, but leave me and my choices alone!

Angrily, Harry pressed send. Around four minutes later, he received a reply. 

**Louis:** I'm not gay

Harry groaned aloud in annoyance. 

**Harry:** See, that's another thing I hate about you! I send a long, meaningful message about how manipulated I feel, yet you just pick around it and use this as another chance to deny being gay. Truth is, you probably are. You've denied it so many times now that I'm beginning to think you're trying to hide something, Louis. I think you're gay, or at least bisexual. That's my opinion, now leave me alone!

 **Louis:** You'll see.

What?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any questions about any of the characters, feel free to ask in the comments and I'll answer :)


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Harry made sure he kept his promise to Niall of staying away from Louis and his gang at lunchtime. He didn't receive any questioning texts from Louis which told him that maybe Louis was slightly pissed off with Harry's long, hateful texts the night before. This caused Harry to slightly regret sending them in the first place, even though he was sort of glad at the time. 

Harry and Niall were sat at a table in the school canteen, and they had then been joined by Perrie and Hannah -- Hannah being the girl who Louis was hooking up with, which was evident when Harry saw Louis' Facebook conversation with her. Obviously, she didn't know that anyone apart from Louis knew, so it was slightly awkward for Harry. Perrie knew that Hannah and Louis were interested in each other, though. 

Despite the fact that she slept with Louis, with no commitment, she was a lovely, bubbly girl like Perrie. It made Harry wonder why she was sleeping with Louis in the first place because they were so different: Louis was violent and cocky whereas Hannah was sweet and actually quite shy at times. Maybe Louis liked more innocent people but Harry was oblivious to this, which was dangerous. 

"Look who it is," Niall muttered in Harry's ear, looking towards the door, "Louis dickhead Tomlinson."

Harry began to worry, feeling as though Louis was going to storm over and have a go at him for being so rude over text, but Louis instead walked right up to the counter. Hannah was smiling down at her lap and this made Harry's insides twist up, although he didn't quite know why.

"Zayn is so hot!" Perrie swooned, watching the tall, skinny lad from across the room. Harry did have to admit that Zayn was very good looking, what with his chiseled jaw, artfully styled hair and brown eyes that sure would be fun to stare into, but whenever Harry thought about Zayn, his mind subconsciously told him that Louis was hotter. He hated himself for this because this wasn't even true. He HATED Louis Tomlinson.

"You should talk to him." Niall stated, and Harry ripped his eyes away from Louis so he could agree with Niall. 

"Yeah, at least then he'd know that you exist." He smirked, causing Perrie to playfully slap his arm and tell him to shut up. 

"Go on, Perrie," Hannah pushed, "I'll call Louis over and Zayn will come over, too!"

Oh god, please don't. 

"No, no! It's fine, I'll just admire." Perrie chuckled, answering Harry's inner prayers. A few moments later, though, Louis and his gang were making their way over anyway. Oh god, Harry was tempted to get up and leave, but it was too late when Louis, Liam and Zayn casually took a seat around the circular table, meaning there were now seven of them.

"Hannah, babe, why are you hanging out with Harry Styles?" Louis questioned, stifling a laugh. Harry raised his eyebrows, a look of disgust on his face. What pissed Harry off the most was the fact that Louis had wanted to hang around with him previously, so why was he being such a hypocrite? 

"He's awesome!" Hannah argued,  sending Harry a soft smile.

"And he's also a faggot." Louis muttered. Harry was so close to blurting out about Louis and the boy at the party, but he knew that'd buy him a one-way ticket to his grave. 

"Woah, woah," Perrie chipped in, angrily, "We're all friends here."

Louis exhaled slowly, stretching his arms out in front of him as he lightly shook his head. Perrie was now blushing, because Zayn's eyes had landed on her and he was staring, almost in disbelief at her prettiness. 

Liam began chatting away with Zayn afterwards, so Perrie pretended she didn't care by sparking up a conversation with Niall. Meanwhile, Louis spoke to Hannah. 

"How's your day been, babe?" She quizzed with a flirtatious smirk.

"Better now that you're in it." Louis giggled, and Harry felt like he was going to throw up. Louis' eyes flicked over to Harry, who immediately thought Louis was going to say something to him, but Louis instead gently grabbed Hannah's face and attached his lips to hers. Everyone else on the table, apart from Harry, wooed and wolf-whistled, while Harry tried to look the other way. The couple were full-on snogging by now, seemingly forgetting that they were in school. 

Halfway through the kiss, Louis' eyes opened and met Harry's, then he smirked into the kiss and raised his eyebrows without breaking it. Harry didn't know quite what to think of this, or how to respond, but his first response was to let his mouth hang open slightly with furrowed eyebrows. Louis' eyes quickly fluttered shut again. 

"Anyway, I better get going, babe," Louis grinned after breaking the kiss, standing up and leading his gang out. Okay, Louis was even more of a twat now than before, which Harry previously thought was impossible. 

"He's such a creep!" Niall whispered in Harry's ear, "He just... stared at you!"

"Thank god someone else realised!" Harry exclaimed in whisper. 

"What're you guys whispering about?" Hannah smiled. 

"Nothing." Harry mumbled. 

\- - -

Harry was surprised to get home to a text from Louis. 

**Louis:** Meet me and the boys at my place, 9pm. Wanna prove something.

Wow, what could it possibly be this time? What did he want to... prove? 

Despite the reluctance, Harry got the bus to Louis' house, knocking on the front door. He wouldn't be surprised if they were going to murder him. Louis answered, letting his eyes wander down Harry's body, slowly. Stupid, intimidating boy, thinking he could do whatever he wanted but still be considered straight.

"Follow me." He stated, sternly. Harry awkwardly did so, feeling like he was walking into a trap. He followed Louis up the stairs through the vanilla scented house, and his jaw dropped when he walked into Louis' bedroom behind him. 

Hannah was lying on Louis' bed, in nothing but lingerie. 

"L-Louis, what the fuck...?" Harry asked, madly. 

"Just wanna prove that I'm not a faggot." Louis snapped in Harry's ear, before lifting his t-shirt over his head. Harry tried not to stare at Louis' toned stomach but couldn't help it, although this didn't lessen the fact that what Louis was doing right now was unacceptable. 

"We're all gonna have a go, wanna join?" Zayn smirked. Harry slowly shook his head in utter disgust, turning to the door and leaving, slamming it behind him so the room shook. 

"Louis Tomlinson, you are disgusting!" He screamed, before racing down the stairs and out of the house. Louis was on a whole new level of vile now. Sure, he wanted to prove that he 'wasn't gay', but to take advantage of Hannah and letting others join was horrifying. 

This was it now: Harry was done. He no longer wanted to go near Louis Tomlinson. He never wanted to look at Louis Tomlinson. But most of all, he wanted his stupid mind to stop /thinking/ about Louis Tomlinson.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, Louis acts like a total dickhead in this and I apologise. Thoughts? Do you think Louis is actually straight? I promise it'll get better, sorry if it's shitty at the moment but I sort of wrote this in a hurry. <3


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Arriving early to class, Harry spotted Perrie crying, sat on the bench outside, with Hannah comforting her. Harry couldn't even look at Hannah the same anymore after seeing her yesterday, agreeing to partake in something so morally disgusting. As Harry approached, he and Hannah made very awkward eye contact.

"Perrie?" Harry called out, in concern, "What's the matter?"

Perrie glanced up, mascara trailing from her eyes, which were bluer due to how inflamed they were. 

"T-Tell h-him, Hannah." Perrie choked on sobs, burying her face back into Hannah's shoulder. 

"He already knows, Perrie," Hannah sighed, "He was there."

Perrie's head shot up, eyes wide. "You fucking joined in?!" She raged, causing Harry's pulse to thicken. 

"No! No, of course not! I left!" Harry relieved her, quickly. 

"B-But Hannah, why would y-you agree to d-do that?" Perrie whispered, in disbelief.

"Because Louis wanted me to! I'm just trying to make him happy, Perrie, you know that!" She argued. 

"Even if it breaks your best friend's heart? I like Zayn, you know that." Perrie's voice cracked, as she shifted away on the bench. "Why did he want to do that, anyway?"

Harry's mind raced. His heart started thudding. He remembered the text:

 **Louis:** You'll see. 

And what he had muttered in Harry's ear when he arrived:

**"Just wanna prove that I'm not a faggot."**

Of course! Louis didn't really get a kick out of using Hannah, he just wanted to 'prove' to Harry that he was 'straight'. This made Harry suspect even more that he was actually gay. Louis must have thought Harry was dumb to try and sway him with such a dumb plan.

"Harry, do you know why he did it? What did he text to you beforehand?" Perrie ripped him from his daze, causing his heart to thud. 

"Umm," He awkwardly scratched the back of his neck, "He just told me to come round. Wasn't sure why until I arrived." It was partly true, wasn't it? Although Harry did secretly know the other side of the story. "But anyway, Perrie, you're way too good for Zayn!" Harry reassured, leaning down and giving her a quick, soothing hug. 

"Thank you." She whispered against his shoulder. Harry pulled away again, shooting her a smile. A moment or two later, Louis, Zayn and Liam paraded round the corner. They always had that sort of look about them, as if they knew that they were the hierarchies of the school, and higher up in society. It annoyed Harry because this was only so because they were manipulative and strong. Harry would hate to be a part of their gang. 

Perrie averted her eyes away, with an annoyed expression, while Hannah smirked at Louis. Okay, that was quite bitchy of her, seeing as Perrie was still unhappy about what went on. All Harry wondered was whether they actually did it in the end. His question was answered, though, when Louis approached.

"Nice work last night, babe. Bet you liked all the attention, didn't you?" He purred, sliding onto the bench beside her so he was between her and Perrie. Perrie instantly shifted away from him, as if a disgusting homeless person had decided to sit by her side. His personality was worse than that of a disgusting homeless person, actually.

"Yeah, it was good." Zayn chipped in, causing Perrie's bottom lip to nervously catch between her teeth. Liam and Zayn were both awkwardly stood around the bench, by Harry's side, and Perrie, Hannah and Louis were sat down. Harry felt like he needed to say something because he hated seeing Perrie upset. 

"You don't really have to go on about it at school, though, do you?" He snapped, voice a bit louder and clearer than he had initially intended. Everyone's eyes instantly fell on him, but Louis' gaze was the most terrifying.

"Well, you'd have been able to talk about it if hadn't have chickened out. Oh, but I forgot, you only backed out because you're gay, didn't you?" Louis growled, gaze patronising towards Harry. 

"I'm surprised you didn't back out, then." The sentence slipped from Harry's lips before he could stop it. Louis' eyes grew wide, whereas Perrie stifled a laugh and even Liam looked like he could burst out laughing.

"Shut the fuck up. You're the one who'd have preferred having a one-on-one night with me, aren't you?" He sassed, with a smirk. This time, Perrie didn't laugh, but instead gasped. There was a silence, for at least thirty seconds, before Zayn broke it.

"Let's, umm, get into class, yeah?"

"I'd rather not." Harry and Louis spoke at the same, before exchanging baffled looks. Weird coincidence. 

Harry was just so done with everyone. Louis' stupid sexual comments, Perrie's emotions, Hannah's smugness and slutiness, Zayn and Liam's dumb obedience to Louis as if he was a fucking god... he was done with it all.

"This is stupid." He muttered under his breath. He was sure Perrie heard but she said nothing. Not until they were entering the classroom. 

"Louis sure does like you, doesn't he?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if it was short, I'm quite busy at the moment but it'll get interesting again! And hey, I slipped some of Louis' awkward, sexual tension inducing comments in again ;)


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I M P O R T A N T 
> 
> C H A P T E R

"Can you run to the shop and get some milk, Hazza?" His mother, Anne, called from upstairs. "There's a fiver on the kitchen counter. You can have the change."

"Will do." Harry yelled back, grabbing the money off the counter and stuffing it into the pocket of his jeans. He slipped a pair of Vans on and left, slamming the door. It would definitely do him some good to get outside, seeing as he had spent his entire Saturday morning lazily sat in front of his laptop, at the kitchen table. His mum probably noticed this. 

It was reasonably warm today, considering the season. There was always that burning possibility that he was going to run into Louis, but he no longer cared. Louis hadn't confronted him properly in school for quite a while now but Harry wasn't sure whether it'd be the same in public. 

Harry turned a corner by the shop, and his body collided with someone else's who was turning the corner, too. Immediately, Harry's warning sensors in his body screamed **'LOUIS!'** at him, but he was relieved when he found that it wasn't. 

"Sorry!" The other boy apologied, lifting his head. Harry's mind raced to think of where he recognised this boy from, then his body froze in realisation. 

It was the boy that Harry caught Louis with at the party. 

"Hey, wait..." The other boy pointed a finger of recognition at Harry, as his face scrunched up in thought. "You're the guy that walked in on me and Louis Tomlinson!"

"And you're the guy who I walked in on with Louis Tomlinson!" Harry chuckled, "I'm Harry."

"Alex," The boy greeted, "Well... this is strange." And yes, it was strange. "You sure seemed surprised when you caught us, but I'm not surprised. Are you friends with Louis?"

"Me? No. I just know him from school, you know?" Harry said, casually. There were so many questions that Harry wanted to fire at Alex, and they were stirring around in his head like a tornado. Maybe he could ask a few, right? 

"Would you mind if, like... I asked a few questions about that night?" He questioned. Alex's eyes shot to a nearby bench, which he nodded towards. 

"Let's take a seat, inspector." He joked with a smirk, and both boys took a seat. "What would ya like to know?"

God, where did Harry begin? 

"Okay... Louis was drunk, wasn't he?"

Alex paused, face contorting in confusion. "He was sober. Completely sober."

Harry breathed out steadily through his lips. Louis had sort of admitted in class that he wasn't drunk but Harry wasn't sure whether it was a serious answer. Now it was clear. 

"Right... okay." Harry breathed. "How did you even convince him to go upstairs with you in the first place? From all I know, he's always saying he's straight. Did you bribe him?"

Alex instantly burst out laughing, which caused Harry to feel a little bit foolish. Had he really asked something that stupid. 

"Harry, Louis was the one who asked **me.** "

Oh god. Ohhh god.

"You're kidding!" Harry exclaimed, mouth and eyes wide.

"I kid you not, Louis Tomlinson asked me." Alex said, holding out his hands in truth. "I promise."

"Wait, wait, wait," Harry gathered his mind again, "Tell me exactly what happened."

Alex stared into space, as if remembering back to the situation. "I was stood in the living room with a few mates, completely sober. I hadn't even touched any alcohol. Next thing I know, Louis had approached me and he whispered something in my ear, I think I remember it being: 'You look hot, wanna come upstairs with me?' Seeing as he was hot and willing, I took up the offer."

Harry couldn't even believe any of this. Was this all just a peculiar dream? The fact that this was true worried Harry. If Louis was gay, what about all the times he made suggestive comments to Harry?

"Not offending you here, but are you sure he wasn't just desperate? Maybe there was a lack of people around to ask. I'm sure he was looking for a girl at first, wasn't he?" Harry tried. He hoped with his whole heart that this was the case. 

"Harry, there was a group of about fourteen slutty girls not far from me, too, and he asked me."

Oh god.

 

"Okay." Harry breathed. "And, oh, I'm sorry for, like, interrupting whatever was happening there. With you and Louis."

"That's fine," Alex giggled, "He's a dickhead anyway. I'd rather not think about waking up next to him."

Harry heartily chuckled, patting Alex appreciatively on the back for saying it. There was a silence, and Harry could feel Alex's eyes on him. He wanted to stand up and go and buy the milk that he still hadn't purchased, but his body was glued to the bench, it seemed. 

"Harry?" Alex's voice was softer now.

"Yeah?" Harry gulped, still not making eye contact. 

"What do you say to... a date? Like, I mean, not to take things too fast but you're a really cool guy, and-"

"Sounds fun." Harry smiled, finally meeting eyes with Alex, whose face was actually quite cute, with his sandy blonde hair and dark brown eyes...

 **Not as cute as Louis.** These thoughts had to end. Perhaps Alex would be a way to stop thinking about Louis, even if he had been the boy Louis was close to fucking. It could be looked past. 

"Cool. Let's exchange numbers." Alex pulled out his mobile, and so did Harry, and they swapped numbers. Harry stood up, thanking Alex before beginning to walk away. 

"Oh! Harry?" Alex stopped him.

"What's up?" Harry called, turning around. 

"I won't take you straight to bed because I'm a gentleman, unlike Louis."

Harry lightly shook his head with a laugh, before waving and heading away, towards the shop. His mum was probably worried sick by now, seeing as he had been gone for almost 30 minutes, and the shop was only 5 minutes or so away. 

On his way home, after buying the milk and a can of Fanta for himself, Harry texted Niall. 

**Harry:** Met a nice boy today. I think a date's on the cards ;)

 **Niall:** thats gr8, mate ! just as long as it isnt louis ;)

True.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is from Louis' point of view. Enjoy.

***Louis' POV***

"Listen, Ashley," I sighed, slowly exhaling through my nose, "I enjoyed it and everything but I'm not the guy to sleep with if you're hoping for further commitment."

I heard a sharp sniff on the other line, followed by a series of breathy crying. All I could do was roll my eyes.

"B-But L-Louis, I gave my virginity to you, y-you promised you'd care for me afterwards!" Ashley choked on cries.

"And you really believed it? My goodness, you must be a dumb bitch if you didn't know by now that I don't do promises. Goodbye, Ashley, go and find someone else to cry to." While trying to hold in a laugh, I hung up and threw my phone onto the bed. Another girl let down: another girl that I didn't even give a fuck about.

This was all getting a bit too tiring now. I'll seduce a girl, sleep with her, then dump her. Simple as. As long as it kept my reputation up, it was okay with me. Yeah, sometimes it may seem a bit horrible when I think about it, but it's partly their fault for not being cautious enough, isn't it?

\- - -

I was sat on the bench, smoking a cigarette. He was late. Why wasn't he here yet? He always passed by the park at this time. 

The boy I was waiting for was Harry Styles. God, I hated that boy. He was just too... witty. He could work anything out, and always looked at things in such detail. Sure, he had a pretty god damn hot face, although I hated to admit it, but I just struggled to think how just thinking a boy was a teensy bit handsome made me gay. To me, it was just me admiring someone. 

 

But then there was that burning passion I had of wanting to fuck him so hard... surely my mind was just messing with me. I had probably just smoked too much to function properly.

As he raced through my mind, he passed around the corner. He looked **good** , let's leave it at that. He was wearing those jeans again which just weren't tight enough, and they were always stupidly bright. It made me cringe when I saw him, but then I saw his face and it made up for it. 

I stuck a hand in my mouth, the one that wasn't occupied with a cigarette, and whistled loudly. Harry immediately jumped, eyes wide as he glanced around the empty park. His eyes landed on me and he looked scared, probably anticipating a punch in the face or a telling off. 

"Come here, Harry." I yelled. He glanced left and right before stumbling over, leaving a metre or so between us as he stared down at his hands.

"Umm, what's up?" He hesitated, glancing up to meet eyes with me. His long, black eyelashes perfectly framed his emerald green eyes... but they weren't as enticing as Hannah's. Of course not...

"I want you to come to Liam's house tonight," I explained, sternly, "We're having a little get-together. But please just don't invite Niall." I sighed out the name, clearly not very keen on him. He was so persistent to get Harry away from me all the time. Okay, I was sometimes a bit of a dick, but most of the time I was an amazing person, right? I thought so.

"B-But why such short notice?" Harry stuttered. My face cracked up into a smirk as I stared at Harry. He just seemed so patronised under my gaze. It made him appear even more innocent.

"Because it is. Oh! And make sure you wear all black. No stupid colours." I hinted, letting my eyes travel to the bright red jeans that he sported today. Harry's mouth quirked into a disappointed expression. 

"Umm... okay." He slowly gave in, clearly not powerful enough to retaliate.

"Good boy." I breathed a half-whisper, smirking again when he shifted on his feet and blushed at my response. It was fun to mess with his head, seeing how flustered it made him. "See you at seven, Curly, I'll text you the address."

"Alright." He flashed a very weak smile before heading the other way, glancing back over his shoulder once before disappearing altogether. 

To be honest, I didn't even know why I was still messing around with Harry's head. He probably thought by now that I actually wanted to be friends with him. For some reason, that made me feel quite bad and manipulative, but I sort of liked it. 

\- - -

The party was intense, and it was only 6:50PM. I kept on glancing down at my watch, waiting for it to reach 7 o'clock. Everyone here was dressed from head-to-toe in black so I was hoping with all of my heart that Harry remembered. The music was blaring and everyone was dancing in the middle of the living room. 

"Louis, you better not have invited the faggot." Liam snickered from behind me, over the bassy soundtrack. 

"Well, I just thought I'd have a laugh and make him actually think we liked him." I played it this way, hoping it'd win Liam over. 

"Ah, good plan!" He smirked, before wandering away, into the garden. I ruffled my hair in a mirror by the living room door, making sure it was all tamed. Perfect.

Harry ended up being five minutes early. Believe it or not, he was wearing all black: a baggy black t-shirt and black jeans, which still lacked total tightness. Oh well.

"Hey, Curly, you made it!" I pretended to be ecstatic about his presence but really I wouldn't have particularly cared if he hadn't turned up at all. 

"Yeah." He chuckled, nervously, glancing down at his black converse. 

"I don't know why you're always so shy. Do I scare you?" I purred, watching his eyes lift again to meet with mine. He slowly shook his head, before shrugging. Hardly a very clear answer. 

As I looked at his eyes, my eyebrows creased. His eyes just weren't **defined** enough. 

"Come upstairs with me." I stated, watching his eyes widen and his posture turn even more timid. He probably took that the wrong way. "You faggot, not in a weird way!" I snapped, watching his facial expression soften in relief. He nodded and allowed me to lead him into the hallway and up the stairs, then into Liam's room. 

He was curiously looking around, eyeing the new surroundings. I went to Liam's desk, picking up his eyeliner pencil. 

"Sit down." I demanded, watching him scurry to the bed and sit down. I took a seat by his side, unscrewing the lid from off of the pencil. 

"W-What are you doing?" Harry warily questioned, eyeing the eyeliner suspiciously. 

"Shut up and just look at the ceiling." I commanded. He did so immediately, and I could visibly see that he gulped. I brought the sharpened tip of the pencil to his lower eyelid, smudging just a thin layer across the lower outline of his eye. I did this on both eyes before adding a second layer. Harry was desperately trying not to blink and I could see tears brimming in his eyes.

"There. You can blink now." I relieved him. He blinked around five times, then I handed him a handheld mirror. He peered into it and his expression fell at the new definement beneath his eyes. 

"I-I don't like it." He gasped after a moment of silence, dropping the mirror beside him on the covers. My expression also dropped. 

"Why?" I snapped. 

"B-Because... I-I don't know." He whined, shaking his head. 

"You only have a tiny bit on, Harry. Look how much **I'm** wearing." 

He turned his face to look at me and those big, shining eyes looked into mine. It was like something weird was happening inside of me as we stared at each other. His gaze was completely concentrated on me and I couldn't function properly. 

Without any control, I let my eyes flutter shut and I slowly moved my face in, towards his. I definitely wasn't expecting what came next...

"I, umm, I'm gonna go and, uh, g-get a drink." Harry cut my actions off, so my eyes flew open again and I shifted away from him. 

"Oh, I wasn't about to... you know..." I muttered, trailing off, awkwardly. Harry stood up with a sigh, nodding with an unconvinced smirk.

Shit. 

"Okay, Louis. I'll see you round." He left the room, leaving me with my thoughts. What the hell had gotten into me? Why was I about to kiss a boy?! I think I needed therapy.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back to normal point of view.

There was a horrible feeling stirring around in Harry's stomach when he arrived at school on Monday. What happened at the get-together with Louis all felt like a dream. Wait, not a dream... a **nightmare**. He was struggling to imagine what the heck was running through Louis' mind as his face edged closer to Harry's. Harry couldn't have just let it happen. 

Despite the awkwardness, Harry had raked through his wardrobe that morning and managed to find a very skintight pair of black jeans, that he was wearing to school that day. He didn't wear them to the party, because the ones he wore weren't as threateningly tight, so why not wear them today? 

He felt like his whole lower half was on display now, even know this wasn't true. The fabric was just very **tight** , that's all.

When he approached Niall, Perrie and Hannah, all three of them smiled until their eyes wandered down to the jeans.

"Black ones today?" Niall queried, slowly, interrogating the jeans.

"And pretty skintight, Harry. What's with the sudden change?" Perrie grimaced, face scrunching up in disapproval. 

"What, I'm not allowed to wear something a little different?" Harry snapped, causing Niall's eyebrows to raise.

"Alright, alright, no need to get sassy with us! Drama queen." He muttered, turning away from Harry and strolling away. Perrie and Hannah followed. It was crazy how just a pair of jeans could cause Niall to walk away from Harry.

When Harry did walk into class, his breath hitched when he saw Louis, already sat down. He didn't know how he was going to face him for the entirety of the lesson. 

"Umm... excuse me." Harry mumbled when trying to pass Louis. Louis' eyes diverted downwards to Harry's skinny jeans and his eyebrows slowly raised as he stared. Awkward. 

"Excuse me!" Harry snapped, louder now, cutting Louis from the inappropriate daze. He stood up and allowed Harry to pass. As Harry did so, however, he squeaked upon feeling a hand  skim past his bum.

Louis' hand. 

"What the fuck was that?" Harry hissed, when they were both seated. 

"What?" Louis asked, innocently. Oh, this was how he was going to play it, was it? 

"Don't worry." Harry breathed, letting his head fall forwards onto the tabletop, resting atop of his folded arms. 

The lesson went on, and the feeling of wanting to ask Louis about the almost kiss was building up more and more in Harry's head. Why did Louis have to be so god damn unreadable?

"Your, umm, your jeans look good." Louis whispered, while glancing down at his hands. Harry nodded slowly as his gaze was now focused on Louis' face. When Harry didn't respond, Louis continued to talk. "Come and hang out with me and the boys at lunch." It was definitely not a question, but a command. 

"Fine." Harry spat. He tried to act as quiet and unreachable as possible for the rest of the lesson, hoping it would tell Louis that he was finally fighting back. Louis couldn't always play these stupid games with Harry and expect to get nothing in return.

\- - -

At lunch, Harry managed to scurry away from Niall, Perrie and Hannah when their backs were turned. He went to Louis' gang's "hangout" area, where they already were. 

"Curly!" Louis greeted, while letting his eyes travel to Harry's jeans again, and he smiled to himself. 

"Cigarette?" Liam offered, holding one out in Harry's direction. "It's just tobacco, nothing weird, I promise."

Harry suspiciously eyed the cigarette before taking it from Liam. He lifted it up to the light of the sun, admiring it and wondering whether he could tell. It definitely was just an average tobacco cigarette. 

Zayn lit the end of it, watching as Harry reluctantly placed it to his lips, sucking in a deep breath. He did cough a little bit but he smiled when it was over, enjoying the feeling of the smoke filling his body, before filtering out through his lips. 

"I like it, actually." He admitted, taking another drag. Louis secretly smirked at the other two boys, who shared his expression.

"Here," Louis shoved a cigarette box into Harry's other hand, "Pack of 20. And," He also handed him a lighter, "Lighter. They're all yours now."

"Oh, thanks. That's nice of you." Harry smiled, taking yet another deep drag of the cigarette. 

"Just make sure you keep them hidden at all times. We don't want you getting us in trouble." Louis advised. Harry nodded, obediently. He stuffed the box and lighter into his bag. 

\- - -

The moment Harry arrived home, he decided to hide the cigarette box in the back of his sock drawer, then he stored two cigarettes and a lighter in the inside pocket of his satchel. It hadn't yet dawned on him that what he was doing was disgusting. If his mum were to find out, she would literally kill him in an instant. 

His phone buzzed a minute or two later. 

**Niall:** where were u at lunch ?

"Shit." Harry breathed, immediately having to form a plan in his head.

 **Harry:** Went to the nurse, mate. I'm alright now. :)

His lie seemed to work. 

**Niall:** ah ok mate. C u tomorrow :)

"Gullible." Harry muttered, with a smirk. He threw his phone onto his bed. 

That night in bed, it all hit him. He had smoked again. But worse of all, he took the cigarettes that were offered to him... because he liked them. What was going on in his head? He had really hit rock bottom now, and there was no turning back. 

All because of Louis Tomlinson.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter of Harry being a dickhead -- soz

Harry had to apologise. He felt absolutely awful for both yelling at all of his friends and lying to Niall. Little did he know what had come over him recently but he hated it, although it felt like it was unstoppable. He craved another cigarette. He craved being  rebellious. He craved **Louis.**

He tried to push past this shivering thoughts and he opened his contacts, clicking on Niall's. 

**Harry:** I lied to you yesterday. I didn't go to the nurse, I was with Louis again. I'm sorry, and I promise to tell the truth from now on. I feel awful. 

He didn't even regret hitting send. The angel on his shoulder was winning the battle against the devil on his other, and he felt like apologising to absolutely everyone, even though it wouldn't be needed. He didn't particularly get the response he'd have hoped for from Niall. 

**Niall:** what the fuck man?! U made me think u were ill when u were actually with that twat again. And let me just say that u saying u promise not to lie anymore IS a fucking lie in itself! U promised me not that long ago that u wouldn't hang out with louis again, yet here u are fucking confessing it! Fuck u harry styles, go and sleep with louis or something cos i wouldnt b surprise if thats what happens next. 

Harry's mouth dropped open. Was this really what his so-called best friend thought of him now? It was all because of Louis, yet Harry couldn't bring himself to blame him. Harry just couldn't afford to lose Niall, not in a million years, and this was why he persisted in texting him. 

**Harry:** Niall, I'm really sorry. Look, I'll do anything! Just forgive me, please? :(

 **Niall:** u'll do anything will u? fine, punch louis in the face tomorrow. 

Harry felt his stomach flip. God, no way would he even attempt to injure Louis. What scared Harry was the fact that he just wouldn't want to **hurt** Louis...

 **Harry:** No, man!

 **Niall:** my thoughts exactly. see u round mr tomlinson.

Harry exhaled slowly, trying to contain his anger as he simply locked his phone and put it on his bedside table. Maybe a nice, relaxing shower would calm him down. 

\- - -

Harry wrapped a cotton towel loosely around his hips after drying his hair, strolling to the mirror above the sink. He wiped off the built up layer of  condensation from it with his hand, leaving a streaky yet visible view of his clean, water droplet-speckled face. He looked reasonably good after his shower: lips moist, plump and pink, skin clear, eyes... not defined enough.

His eyes darted to the right, spotting Gemma's makeup bag on the shelf. He idly nibbled his bottom lip, reaching for it and pulling open the little, golden zip. It was crammed full of colourful products, which had uses that were unknown to Harry. He rummaged through its contents until he found what he was searching for. 

A black eyeliner pencil. 

He screwed off the lid, remembering how he was told by Louis to look upwards as he applied it. He held his lower lid down and drew a moderately thick, charcoal black line beneath his left eye, whilst looking up at the ceiling. The contrast between both eyes now was colossal, and the makeup-bearing one looked tons better, in Harry's opinion. 

He used the same technique to apply eyeliner to his right eye, blinking a few times before smiling at himself in the mirror. It was even more intense than when Louis had applied it for him, but he liked it. He liked the contrast of the black against his pale skin, and how it perfectly outlined his eyes and made them appear even bigger. 

Quickly, he placed the lid back on the pencil, put it back into the makeup bag and returned the bag to its home on the shelf. 

Harry had a spark in his stomach now. It was like the shower he took had been an inspirational one because now he had ideas. 

Before he knew it, he was on the 4:30 public bus down to the city centre. When his mum had asked where he was going, he just said "town" before slamming the door. He had kept his face from her gaze, making sure she didn't see the eyeliner. 

When Harry's bus got to the city centre, Harry jumped off and strolled along the street. He entered Topman, heading to the t-shirt section, and he immediately grabbed his size in a tight, black v-neck t-shirt. Harry felt like he had **no control** as he purchased the t-shirt, before leaving the shop. He next bought a couple of black eyeliner pencils, so he didn't have to keep borrowing Gemma's, then he waited at the bus stop. It was getting relatively dark now, and Harry looked across the street to see a woman walking along, smoking a cigarette. 

Cigarette. 

Harry scrambled to look into his satchel bag, pulling out a cigarette and a lighter. He placed the cigarette between his plump lips, lighting the end before placing the lighter carefully back into his satchel. 

He sat back on the bench in the bus shelter, taking a well-deserved drag of the cigarette. He still loved the taste and feeling of smoking, even though it was only his second tobacco cigarette. 

As he smoked it, little did he know who was stood metres away, watching. 

\- - -

Before Harry walked into his home, he stood out on the porch and used his phone's reflection and flashlight to see his face, as he licked the tip of his thumb and removed the eyeliner from his eyes. When he was confident it was all gone, and he had sprayed himself with deodrant to extinguish the smell of cigarettes, he entered his home. The moment he did, though, he came across his mum and Gemma, staring right at him with folded arms and angry expressions. His heart immediately went wild in his chest. 

"W-What's that look for?" He faltered, laughing lightly and trying to make a joke out of it.

"Mrs Harberton phoned," Anne informed him, sternly, "And she told us something very... interesting."

Harry's gaze diverted between his mother and sister as his eyebrows slowly furrowed. "What did she say?"

"Why, Harry?" Gemma whined in response, not even answering Harry's question, frowning and looking honestly like she was about to burst out crying. 

"Why, what? Tell me!" Harry exclaimed in frustration. 

"She saw you smoking, young man." Anne snarled. "What the HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Her voice raised immensely halfway through the sentence causing Harry to feel as though his heart was about to burst from inside him. Shit. 

Harry began stuttering on his words, trying but failing to create a coherent sentence as his throat was raw and a lump was forming. "I-I didn't smoke!" He lied, voice cracking. 

"WELL WHAT ARE THESE, THEN, HARRY STYLES?" Anne raged, brandishing the box of cigarettes from behind her back pocket that Harry believed he had hidden well. Obviously not. Harry was shakily crying now, apologising over and over again, looking for forgiveness in his sister's eyes. She looked at him with cold, unforgiving eyes. No one was on his side now.

"DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND HOW DISGUSTING THAT IS, HARRY?! YOU'RE FUCKING KILLING YOURSELF, CAN YOU NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT?!" Anne roared, throwing the cigarette box to the floor. Harry's sadness was slowly turning to anger. Why was he being blamed when this was practically peer pressure from Louis and his gang? 

"YOU KNOW WHAT, MUM? FUCK YOU! AND FUCK YOU, TOO, GEMMA, BECAUSE I HATE YOU BOTH!" Harry screamed, causing Gemma and Anne to fall into an even bigger state of shock. 

"GET TO YOUR ROOM!"

"GLADLY!"

Harry stomped up the stairs, choking on tears, crossing the landing and barging into his bedroom. He fell onto his bed and screamed into a pillow until his throat was raw. 

What the hell was he turning into?


	19. Chapter Nineteen

Harry was officially grounded, but he still had to go to school. After he had stormed up to his bedroom, neither his mum or Gemma even dared to go up there to talk to him. He was wondering whether he should text Louis and tell him about what had happened but he didn't. Deep down he had a feeling Louis would be annoyed at him for wasting a perfectly good box of cigarettes. 

The next morning was the most awkward time ever. Instead of Harry's mum, who usually got him up, Gemma came in. She opened his curtains, causing him to groan sleepily as the bright morning sunshine shone in. It hit a sleepy Harry then what had happened last night, and he felt his heart drop. 

"Gemma," He croaked out in a morning voice, "I'm still really sorry."

Gemma didn't even make eye contact with her younger brother. "Get up. Mum doesn't want you to be late." She informed, sternly. Harry sighed when she had slammed the door and left his room again. Was he ever going to get their trust back? Now that their seemingly innocent little Harry had been caught **smoking** , anything seemed possible. 

Harry dressed in his new black t-shirt, loving how it gripped to his torso, as the skinny jeans adorned his legs. He applied a thick, black layer of the eyeliner, just about as thick as Louis and co. usually had theirs. He no longer cared what people thought -- especially his mum and sister. After brushing his teeth, he jogged down the stairs, basking in the reactions from his two family members. 

"H-Harry... since when do you wear eyeliner?" Anne interrogated, slowly, wrinkling up her nose at him. Harry moodily shrugged, scooping up his satchel bag and swinging it onto his right shoulder.

"See you later, then." Anne spat. Clearly she was still angry and upset. "And I want you back here as soon as school's finished. You're grounded, remember?"

"Yes, mum. Bye." Harry breathed out, in annoyance. He left the house, slamming the front door behind him.

\- - -

Harry actually sort of liked the reactions he got from his classmates at school, when he walked into class. Many eyebrows were raised and many whispers exchanged, but Harry couldn't care less because he liked wearing what he was. 

Niall's eyes very visibly widened, as did Perrie and Hannah's. They said nothing to him as he made his way to the back corner, where Louis was yet to arrive to. Harry ignored the eyes of people who had span around in their seats to look at him, and he also ignored the scowl that Niall shot his way. Niall had really hated Harry lately, although some may say it was mainly Harry's fault for turning into a dickhead. 

When Louis walked in with Liam and Zayn, and his eyes landed on Harry, he immediately became the sheer definition of turned on. His eyebrows raised and his tongue idly trailed along his bottom lip, before he realised what he was doing and he strolled over and took a seat, acting as though he hadn't reacted how he had. 

"Umm... different look today, then?" He whispered, in a rough tone, before clearing his throat in attempt to cover up the prominent arousal in his tone. 

"Yeah, just decided to see what it'd look like." Harry shrugged, playing with a bracelet on his wrist. 

"It looks hot," Louis blurted out, "Like... in a no homo way, y'know?"

Harry slowly allowed a smirk to creep onto his face, as he nodded slowly, in a very unconvinced manner. "You can't call another boy 'hot' and then claim it was 'no homo'. Just saying." Harry muttered under his breath, with finger quotations. 

Louis didn't reply after this. Harry was anticipating a snappy comeback from Louis but nothing came, at all. 

A while later, halfway through the lesson, Louis pulled his phone out, followed by a pair of earphones. Harry's eyes diverted between Louis' phone and their teacher, finding it hard to concentrate on the lesson when Louis was being distracting. 

"Put this in your ear." Louis commanded, chucking an attached earphone into Harry's lap. 

"Why? What're you putting on?" Harry fretted, worried they'd get caught. 

"Porn," Louis spat, sarcastically, "Music, you idiot." He whispered, relieving Harry. To be honest, he wouldn't be very surprised if Louis **did** put porn on in the middle of a lesson. 

Louis stuck the other earphone in, scrolling through thousands of songs on his library. He stopped on one, letting it start. Harry saw the name, which was a song named 'Room To Breathe' by You Me At Six. 

Harry was expecting a completely heavy metal, ear-bursting song to blare into his unfortunate ear, but it actually ended up being a very great song, if Harry had to admit. He had completely zoned out from what the teacher was saying, now enticed in the catchy song. Louis had a little smirk on his face, as if he knew he was distracting Harry from his education. And, yeah, he was.

When the song had finished, Louis put on another. Then another. Then another. This continued until they had spent the entire second half of the lesson, listening to music instead of listening to their teacher. Somehow, they managed not to get caught. 

"See ya later, Curly." Louis winked at Harry before leaving, as everyone else was. The wink made Harry's heart flutter, although he knew it was just Louis being a cocky, annoying boy, as usual. He wasn't being flirtatious, was he? That just wasn't part of Louis Tomlinson's persona.

Harry awkwardly approached Niall, Hannah and Perrie, who were stood out in the corridor, watching Louis stroll away. Their eyes then found Harry, who was shifting on his feet as he gave them a hopeful smile. 

Niall's eyes skimmed his outfit in disgust. "You're becoming different. I don't like it." He stated, flatly. Harry felt like his stomach dropped. 

"I-I'm not," He insisted, but was cut off by Hannah. 

"Then what do you call this new fashion statement of yours, eh?" She arched an eyebrow. Harry looked down at his own clothes. He didn't even look bad, so why were they treating him like this? 

"I'm just... experimenting with new styles..." He shrugged. Niall stifled a laugh, causing Harry's face to redden. 

"Well, Harry Styles, **your** 'new styles' are looking mistakenly like Louis Tomlinson's. Just an observation." Niall cackled. It was more of a mocking laugh than a humouring one. 

"You're saying I'm copying my style from **him**?!" Harry exclaimed, mouth agape, "You're wrong!"

"Oh, give it up, Harry!" Niall rolled his eyes. "You're not hanging round with us again until you lose the eyeliner... and the attitude."

Harry gasped in disbelief. "What do you mean by that?! I'm the one who introduced you and the girls in the first place! If it wasn't for me, god knows who'd be your friend, Niall!"

It went silent. Perrie and Hannah were exchanging baffled looks, whereas Niall was going red. He slowly shook his head, gritting his teeth. 

"Fuck off, Harry. Go and find your boyfriend, Louis Tomlinson!" Niall yelled, causing passers by in the hallway to erupt into laughter. Rage filled Harry's eyes, and he had to truly restrain himself from slapping Niall full force around the face. Without any further arguing, Harry spun around on his feet and stormed the other way.

\- - -

"Come to the city centre with me and the boys. Come on, Curly!" Louis tempted for the one thousandth time. He was following Harry out of the school gates after school, along the pavement. Harry kept saying no, not wanting to admit that he was grounded, but Louis was just unstoppable. 

"We won't be down there for long, okay?" Louis questioned, "Pretty please?" His eyes met Harry's. God, Louis' eyes just looked so fucking blue and the small pout he was sporting made Harry practically melt (although he didn't want to really admit it).

"Fine, but just for an hour!" Harry gave in.

 

 

 

 

One hour ended up being four hours, and Harry wasn't entering his home until half past seven in the evening. He was instantly confronted by his mum.

"What part of 'grounded' did you not understand, young man?!" She yelled, pointing angrily at the clock on wall. "Four hours ago you were supposed to be home! Where the hell were you, Harry?"

"Calm down!" Harry insisted, nonchalantly, "I'll be home on time tomorrow."

"Well that's not good enough. I'm extending your time from a week to two weeks, Harry Styles. You're going to be home on time every day, and you're not leaving your room when you get here. Do you understand me?"

"What?! That's so unfair!" Harry protested. 

 

"I SAID DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME!" 

"Yes, mum." Harry sighed.

"Give me your phone."

"No! You can't take my phone!" Harry yelled, possessively gripping it in his hand. 

"And YOU can't mess me around! Phone. Now."

Harry exhaled slowly while slapping the phone into her outstretched palm. Stupid mum.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song mentioned is amazing, sooo if you haven't heard it then check it out ♡


	20. Chapter Twenty

As soon as Harry's mum left the house for work on Saturday morning, Harry crept into her bedroom. He had to tiptoe around in there because her bedroom was above the living room, where Gemma was, so otherwise she'd hear him walking around in there and know he was up to something.

He opened her top right drawer on her desk, rolling his eyes when he immediately found both his phone, the lighter and the box of cigarettes - which had all been confiscated by her. He scooped the three items up, stuffing them into the pockets of his newly bought black hoodie, before leaving her room again and softly shutting the door. 

When he switched his phone on, he had two texts, both from different people, and both had been sent that morning. 

**Louis:** hey

Harry completely ignored this text, instead opening the other, more interesting one. 

**Alex:** What do you say to you and me, Pollen Street Social restaurant, tonight at 8? xxx

Harry tried but failed to bite back a grin, and he felt his heart skip a beat. This was going to be the first ever date he'd been on, aside from a stupid, awkward bowling date with a girl when he was 10, and he thought he was straight. 

**Harry:** Sounds marvellous :) Are you picking me up, or... xx

 **Alex:** Yeah, text me your address and I'll be there at 8. Make sure you look classy ;) (I'm sure you will) xxx

Harry bit his lip, awkwardly, and looked down at his outfit of all black. He'd have to definitely lose the eyeliner for the evening, and most certainly the dull, black clothing... 

Harry texted his address to Alex soon after, and then it was sorted. Not yet was Harry nervous, because it was only 11AM, but it was inevitable that he would be panicking as it approached evening time. What he remembered of Alex was that he was very laid back and easy to talk to, so there would definitely not be a problem in getting along with him for the evening. 

\- - -

Harry went out into the garden to smoke a cigarette, seeing as Gemma seemed to be distracted by a wedding programme on the television. He faced away from the house and perched himself on an unfinished brick wall, which would have flourished into an outdoor study, if his dad actually stuck around to finish building it.

He inhaled the cigarette's fumes, holding it in for five seconds before slowly blowing it out through pursed lips. He shut his eyes and smiled softly to himself, thinking about how fun it would be to go on a date. It'd be a nice escape from his home life, where his mum and sister now seemed to despise him. The more he thought about the recent, unsettling events, the more drags he took from his humble cigarette. It definitely soothed him. 

"What the hell has happened to you, Harry?" Gemma's voice spoke out from the backdoor. Harry hastily swung round, while blowing out a puff of cigarette smoke. Harry's heart started thudding against his ribcage. 

"Umm... hi, Gem." He waved, awkwardly. Gemma furrowed her eyebrows at his response, walking into the garden in just her socks, perching herself at least five feet away, on the brick wall. She eyed the cigarette in her young brother's hand. 

"Why are you doing this? Why are you smoking?" She whispered, in disgust, making eye contact with Harry. 

"Wanna try a drag?" Harry smirked, holding it out in her direction. He received a harsh slap across his face from her, causing him to yell an 'OWW!' and rub his cheek.

"YOU'VE TURNED INTO A FUCKING MONSTER!" She  screamed, snatching the cigarette from his hand and throwing to the patio. She took a loose brick from near the wall and threw it down onto the burning cigarette bud, with a frustrated grunt. Harry was watching with wide eyes. Gemma had tears in her eyes and she was lightly shaking as her eyes raised to meet Harry's. 

"Where's my little brother gone?" She whispered, close to crying. 

This hit Harry straight in the heart... but he still didn't want to change back. 

\- - -

 **Louis:** hey

 **Louis:** hello, Harry

 **Louis:** How are you?

 **Louis:** having a good day?

 **Louis:** F A G G O T

 **Harry:** Don't call me that!

 **Louis:** wow, so you were reading all my texts and just blatantly ignoring me? cheers, man

Harry exhaled sharply. Since when did Louis care about how Harry was, or whether his day was going well?

 **Harry:** Look, I'm a little busy right now, okay? I'm just getting ready to go out. 

And it was true, actually. It was 19:16PM and Harry hadn't even picked an outfit. He had, however, removed the eyeliner and had a shower. 

**Louis:** Where are you going, fag?

Wow.

 **Harry:** None of your business, faggot! ;)

Okay, the winking face was meant to be used as a joke, to emphasise the fact that Harry had returned the horrible 'nickname', but Louis didn't take it as a joke. 

**Louis:** Woah, mate, back off with the winky faces ;) x

Oh. A kiss. 

**Harry:** YOU back off with the kisses! ;)

... Was Harry flirting with Louis Tomlinson? Surely not.

 **Louis:** If you tell me where you're going ;) xxxxxxxxx

This was getting a bit unsettling now for Harry. It was like Louis was using the moment as an opportunity to flirt and send a ton of kisses to Harry. 

**Harry:** I already told you: it's none of your business, Tomlinson! ;)

 **Louis:** Come on! ;) xxxxxxxxx

Harry just decided to tell the truth. 

**Harry:** Fine! I'm going on a date!

Louis was typing, then he wasn't again. Then he was typing again, then he wasn't. This continued until a couple of minutes later, a reply came through. 

**Louis:** Oh. Cool...

 **Harry:** Haha, yeah...

 **Louis:** I'm guessing it's a boy, then?

 **Harry:** Good guess, ha

 **Louis:** Are you gonna let him fuck you? 

Harry practically choked on his own tongue. Why would he... say that?

 **Harry:** umm.. what the fuck?

 **Louis:** Oh, sorry, I forgot... you're probably a virgin. ;)

Wow, this had turned way too personal, way too quickly.

 **Harry:** Why are you being so rude? That's really personal information, Louis...

 **Louis:** but I bet you're still gonna give him your little body, aren't you, hmm?

Harry's mouth gaped. Who the hell did Louis think he was?!

 **Harry:** Fuck off, Louis! God, you infuriate me sometimes!

 **Louis:** Just don't let him fuck you, okay? You deserve someone who will be gentle with you

Harry closed his texts and threw this phone down onto his bed. It was now 19:26, meaning he now only had a little over half an hour to get ready, so he couldn't spend this time getting pissed off by Louis. Stupid Louis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, Harry and Alex's date will be next chapter. Did you guys like jealous Louis? ;)


	21. Chapter Twenty-One

Harry ended up going with his blue skinny jeans and a plain, grey t-shirt on the outfit agenda. It wasn't particularly 'classy', nor was it overly flattering, but he figured Alex wouldn't really mind because he was so laid back. Harry's hair had seemed to almost fall perfectly, aside from a rebellious curl that kept sticking into his face, which he resulted in hairspraying into confinement. Everything seemed pretty much perfect now.

It was three minutes to eight when the doorbell rang through the house, and Harry was upstairs when it did. He cursed mentally when he heard Gemma answer the door. 

"Hello, I'm Alex, I'm here for Harry." Alex's voice greeted, and Harry straightened out his t-shirt before jogging down the stairs.

"Hello, Alex, I'm Harry's sister, Gemma. Oh, here he is now." She eyed her brother coming down the stairs. "Are you two going on... a date?" She asked slowly, with a hint of a smirk. Alex met eyes with Harry and they both chuckled nervously, Alex's face redening slightly. 

"Yeah, sort of..." Harry bit back a grin, so a dimple became prominent in his cheek. Alex nodded, then he spoke again.

"I'll, umm, be in the car while you put your shoes on." He grinned nervously, "It was nice meeting you, Gemma." He waited for Harry to agree before turning away from the house and strolling towards the blue BMW that was parked on the drive. 

Harry sat on the bottom step of the staircase and slipped his left foot into one of his white converse trainers. 

"I'm glad you got rid of the eyeliner." Gemma sneered. Harry glanced up through his eyelashes as he tied his shoelace.

"This is only for tonight," He informed, flatly, "I'll probably wear it again tomorrow." He slipped on his other shoe and began doing the laces up.

"He seems very lovely, Harry. Very smart. I hope it goes well, anyway." She gave him a weak smile, patting him on the back when he had stood up again. 

"Thanks, Gemma." He said, before turning and leaving. "And you can tell mum I'm upstairs asleep and don't want to be disturbed, if she asks. I'm still grounded for all she knows." He smirked, giving a last wave before she shut the door with a roll of her eyes. Harry lightly jogged to the passenger side of the BMW, opening the door and climbing into the seat.

"Ready, Curly?" Alex questioned, with a bright smile. Harry's stomach flipped at the nickname, which Louis had constantly been calling him for the past month or so. He shook the thought of Louis from his head because this was a date with **Alex** tonight, and he was going to enjoy it.

"Yeah," Harry replied, after a short silence. 

"Are you alright? You sort of... zoned out." Alex giggled, sticking the keys in the ignition and backing out of the driveway, using the rearview mirror.

"I'm fine, I was just thinking." He mused.  

"About...?" Alex smirked, as the car pulled onto the main road. As if on cue, Harry's phone violently vibrated in his back pocket,  buzzing loudly against the leather car seat. 

"Sorry." Harry apologised, flustered, as he pulled his phone out. 

**Louis:** hope you're not getting laid yet

Harry rolled his eyes with a sigh, stuffing his phone back into his pocket. Couldn't Louis just give it a rest, already?

"Who's it from?" Alex asked, curiously, eyes flicking over to meet Harry's briefly, before concentrating on the road again. 

"It was, uh, my mum." Harry lied, stupidly. Alex seemed convinced enough, and there was then silence for the rest of the journey. Quite an awkward silence, admittedly. Soon enough, the car pulled into an almost packed car park, outside a reasonably posh restaurant. 

Alex hooked arms with Harry on their way in, which Harry sort of liked because he felt protected.

Inside, the walls were painted a vanilla white and the floors were laminate oak. There was a skylight window on the ceiling that displayed the dim, darkening sky of the evening outside. Lights hung row-by-row along the ceiling, lighting up the busy space with a vivid glow.

Alex gave his name in at the front and the waitress guided them to a table in the corner. Harry and Alex took a seat opposite each other in the arty, black leather chairs, in front of a glass table.

"My name is Rachel and I'll be your waitress for the evening. Can I get you started off with any drinks?" The smiley, young woman asked. Harry was about to ask for a glass of coke when Alex cut him off. 

"A bottle of champagne and two glasses, please."

The woman smiled and gave a polite nod, then she walked away, after telling them to have a look at the menu while she was gone. Harry nervously bit his lip because, little did Alex know, he absolutely hated alcohol. He'd just have to be polite and drink it anyway. Then, something hit Harry. 

"Wait... how did you get served alcohol when we're only seventeen?" Harry questioned, brow furrowed. Alex gave Harry a blank look.

"I'm nineteen. I've been here before so the waitresses know. They probably think you're nineteen, too."

Harry felt his heart rate speed up slightly. Two years older? How did he not know? Well, because he'd never asked, so he had just guessed Alex's age from the start.

"Is there... a problem with that?" Alex queried, after analysing the silence. 

"No, no!" Harry lied, "I just wouldn't have guessed, that's all."   
Harry skimmed the menu in order to change the subject. It was crammed with fancy meal names he had never heard of in his life. The only one he understood was 'tagliatelle', so he decided on that. 

"So..." Alex sang, awkwardly, drumming his fingernails on the tabletop. Harry gave him an optimistic smile. His phone vibrated in his pocket but he ignored it, already knowing that it was inevitably Louis. 

"You look great, by the way." Harry complimented with a grin, taking the attention away from his phone going off. It was true, actually. Alex's sandy brown hair was gelled up into a quiff, and he wore light coloured chino trousers and a polo shirt. Harry guessed you could say Alex looked like the snobby sort, but he was actually very nice. 

"Thanks! Same goes for you, Curly." Alex smirked, and Harry's stomach felt all tingly again from the nickname. Alex met eyes with Harry, and the look on Alex's face consisted of utter love, and Harry sort of felt awkward while trying to retain the eye contact, seeing as it was only a first date. 

"Your champagne!" The cheerful waitress had returned, and Harry wanted to stand up and shake her hand to thank her for breaking the awkward moment, but he stayed put in his seat. She set a bucket on the table that was filled with ice, with a fancy bottle of champagne sat on top. She placed two champagne glasses down, popped the cork, and poured two half-glasses to start them off. The boys thanked her.

"Can I take your food orders, gentlemen?" She requested, pulling out a small notepad from her black apron and a pen from behind her ear. 

Harry ordered his tagliatelle, whereas Alex ordered a dish with a name so complicated that Harry honestly thought Alex had made it up on the spot. She scribbled down the orders before smiling and walking away again, leaving them alone. 

Alex took an appreciative sip, smiling, then his eyes flickered between Harry and his untouched drink. Harry took this as a hint. He picked up his champagne glass and took a nimble sip, trying hard not to contort his face as the sour, strong liquid burned its way down his throat. 

"It's nice," He lied, clearing his throat when it cracked slightly. Alex somehow believed him, taking another sip of his own beverage. 

They chatted a bit more, and they tucked into their food when it arrived. It was very nice, which Harry secretly wasn't expecting, and he and Alex eventually finished the meals. Harry had found out a bit more about Alex and his family, while Alex had found out the same about Harry. Alex drank most of the champagne, leaving a lot of it in the bottle, while Harry only just managed to finish the initial half a glass. 

As they were in the middle of talking about their favourite songs, the classic iPhone ringtone began blasting out from Harry's back pocket, and his phone violently began buzzing against his chair. Alex stopped talking. 

"Sorry, I-"

"Go and take it, Harry, it's probably important." Alex insisted, waving his hand.

"Oh, okay, I won't be a moment." Harry stood up and jogged to the boy's toilets, which was empty. He took out his phone and literally groaned in annoyance as 'Louis' flashed on the screen. He swiped to answer and held the phone to his ear. 

"What?" He snapped into the device, hearing noise from the other side. 

"Hey, Harry," Louis' voice sent a shiver down Harry's spine, strangely, "What're you up to?"

Harry sighed, harshly. "You know I'm on a date, Louis."

"Can't be a very good date if you're putting it on hold to talk to me." There was a prominent smugness in his tone. "Gosh, am I that important to you, Curly?"

"Give it a rest," Harry sneered, "Now can you stop trying to contact me? I'm having a good time. I'll see you on Monday."

Louis started blabbering on again but Harry quickly hung up, before slipping his phone into his pocket. After quickly checking his hair in the mirror, he returned to Alex. 

"I'm guessing it was your mum." Alex giggled. 

"Y-Yeah, it was." Harry lied. Again.

"Anyway, I think it's time to get going, don't you? I paid while you were gone, by the way." 

"Oh," Harry replied, "Okay."

They both stood up and hooked arms again, making their way towards the exit. It was colder now, when they got outside, so Alex pulled Harry in close and wrapped an arm around him as they walked to the car. They climbed inside, and Harry rubbed his hands together in attempt to create warmth. 

"Thanks for the lovely evening, Alex," Harry smiled. Oh, why was he lying again? He was glad that the night was coming to an end.

"No problem, thanks for being part of the lovely evening." Alex chuckled, meeting eyes with Harry again. The eye contact was held as a silence crept into the car, and Alex brought a soft hand up to run gently down Harry's face, which made Harry's heart thud for all the wrong reasons. 

"I really want to kiss you right now." Alex whispered into the quiet, causing Harry to panic on the inside. His first kiss? He didn't want it. No, not now. 

"I-I don't kiss on first dates." The sentence pushed past Harry's lips, and Alex's face fell in disappointment, with a hint of understanding. 

"That's fine, I can wait..." He smiled, weakly, starting the car. 

During the journey home, Harry wondered why the hell he had gone on a date with someone he had no true feelings for. Really, he should have just stayed at home, but now Alex thought he was interested in him. Harry wasn't the sort of boy to easily be able to speak the truth and let people down, so he was panicking while wondering how the hell he was going to end them seeing each other. 

Another stupid thing about him seeing Alex was that he felt like he had to swap looks. The eyeliner went, and the black clothes went, and he felt as though he couldn't be himself. 

When Harry got home and turned his phone on again, he had two texts. 

**Alex:** Once again, thanks for a great night. We must do it again sometime. xxxx

 **Louis:** I didn't care about your stupid date, anyway. I hope he fucking hates you.

Yikes, Louis' personality had taken a harsh turning again. Why was he so bipolar all the time? And why did he care about Harry's date?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to add a bit of Louis in here, without him physically being with Harry. A lot more Louis drama to come, I promise <3


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two

Harry woke up on Monday morning feeling like absolute shit. He had spent the duration of Sunday attempting to act all sappy over text with Alex, even though there were no emotional sparks from Harry's side of the spectrum. Louis had been leaving Harry alone, though, strangely enough, which made Harry wonder: why did Louis persistently text him and call him while he knew Harry was on a date, but completely ignore him afterwards? 

Maybe Louis just felt jealous that he wasn't doing anything on a Saturday night, and Harry was. This was the theory Harry was going to stick with for now. 

Harry had returned to his all black clothing and eyeliner for school, knowing it was now his favourite look to go for. Black just seemed like a slimming colour, making his legs look skinnier -- thus making him appear taller. He liked feeling tall, especially seeing as Louis and his gang were reasonably tall themselves. 

It wasn't very nice going to school for Harry when he wasn't entirely sure who his friends were anymore. He knew for sure that Niall hated him, most likely Perrie and Hannah too, but Louis seemed on and off with Harry. One second he'd be inviting him to hang out with them, the next he'd be calling him a faggot and pushing him away again. That was Louis and his fucking mind games for you.

Seeing as Louis' last sentence in his final text to Harry was 'I hope he fucking hates you', Harry didn't particularly think he and Louis were on good terms with each other at the moment.

\- - -

"What is it?" Hannah whispered to Louis, concern written all over her face. He had pulled her away from Niall and Perrie, into a quieter part of the school, without even giving her an explanation. Louis glanced left and right, quickly, before speaking. 

"I need you to... do something for me." He explained, slowly. Hannah's eyes flicked from Louis' crotch, then back to his eyes again. 

"You want a blowjob?" She cocked an eyebrow, knowing this would be typical of Louis, before the first lesson of school had even begun.

"No, no, nothing like that!" Louis chuckled, shaking his head, "It's just... well, I want you to keep an eye on someone for me. He's someone I know you're close to."

"Niall? Why do you want me to keep an eye on Ni-"

"Not Niall, you idiot!" Louis spat, looking left and right once again to make sure no one was listening, especially the boy in question. "Harry." He whispered.

Hannah nodded slowly, before laughing humourlessly and shaking her head. "Louis, we're not really friends with Harry at the moment because he's acting like a complete twat." 

Louis' face dropped, knowing his plan had already fallen in on itself. "Well can't you guys make friends with him again? Please, babe, this is important."

"What do you mean by 'keep an eye on him', anyway? Do you mean, like, ask him stuff or just generally watch out for him?" Hannah interrogated. 

"Nothing big, really, I'll just tell you beforehand what I want to know and you'll ask him. Then you'll tell me afterwards. Simple as." Louis translated, with a convincing smile. 

"But... why?"

Louis sighed, "Because I said so, okay? Now we better get to class. I want you to come over to our table and apologise to Harry, before the end of first lesson. Do you think you can do that?" He spoke very leisurely, as if Hannah was a small infant who found it very difficult to understand things. 

"Fine," Hannah gave in, "But I don't exactly like the idea of being your spy."

Louis rolled his eyes. "Shut up. Let's get to class."

\- - -

Surprisingly, Harry walked in alone, ten minutes late, while Louis was uniquely on time. Harry tried to ignore the fact that Louis' eyes trailed down his skinny jean-bearing legs, and he quickly passed Louis and sat in  his assigned seat, next to him. 

Louis didn't say anything to him today, which was strange. Even after arguing, Louis usually shot Harry a snide greeting, but not today. Something seemed different. 

\- - -

It was nearing the end of the lesson, where the classroom got uncontrollably noisy and the teacher no longer cared enough to tell them to be quiet. Hannah made her way over, so Louis smirked secretly, and Harry raised his head when he acknowledged her presence. Niall and Perrie were watching from across the room, horrified as to why Hannah wanted to actually talk to Harry. 

"Hi, Harry," She smiled, "How are you?"

Harry suspiciously nibbled his bottom lip. "Confused," He replied, "Why are you suddenly talking to me?"

Hannah had no idea how to reply to this. "Look... I-I just wanted to apologise on behalf of me and the others for blanking you out, lately. Do you want to be friends again?"

Harry didn't immediately say yes, he just sat there as he contemplated what she had asked. What confused him most was how Niall and Perrie looked as though they were going to kill Hannah for apologising to him, even though it was apparently on their behalf too.

"No, not really." Harry shrugged, before going back to doing his work. Louis met eyes with Hannah and he exhaled slowly, irritated that the section of the plan that failed was the befriending part. Hannah was non-verbally asking Louis for help, unsure of how to respond to the rejection.  

"Please?" She tried, watching Louis' eyes close tightly, as though he was trying so hard not to face-palm at that moment. 

"Sorry, but I don't want to be friends with people who mocked me for wearing different clothes. Goodbye, Hannah." Harry waved, as a hint for her to go away. She huffed and turned away, heading back to her seat. 

"What's going on here, darling?" Louis smirked, loving how Harry squirmed at the nickname. 

"Oh, it's nothing," Harry waved a hand, carelessly, "Don't worry." He tried to act casual but on the inside his heart was racing at how flirtatious Louis' voice had  become.

Well, if Hannah wasn't going to ask questions yet, Louis could give it a shot, couldn't he?

"Anyway, how did that date go, in the end?" Louis smiled, voice turning back to its normal tone. Harry paused, furrowing his eyebrows. 

"You said you didn't care about it..." He trailed off.

"I-I don't." Louis pathetically retorted, realising his question had backfired. 

"You are so unreadable!" Harry exclaimed, rolling his eyes and trying to do his work again. He quickly glanced at the clock to see that there were only three minutes left of the lesson. He just wanted it to hurry up and reach ten o'clock, so the lesson ended and he could get away from Louis. For now, anyway. 

"What else am I?" Louis purred. His voice had become low again, making Harry's pulse thicken. 

"What?" Harry asked, addled as to why Louis had changed tones so quickly, once again. 

"I'm unreadable... what else am I?" He smirked, biting on his lower lip. Harry's face scrunched up, trying to fight off the inner arousal that was eating away at his insides.

"You're annoying..." 

"What else?"

"Infuriating..."

"Anything else, Curly?"

"Manipulating..."

The list of words to describe Louis in Harry's head was miles long. He could sit there for hours and mention each and every one because Louis Tomlinson was like a walking dictionary of negative words. 

Harry's coherent thoughts almost made him oblivious to the fact that Louis that leant in close to him, so his mouth ghosted over his ear. Harry's eyes went wide and his breath hitched when he noticed just what was happening. Louis was breathing hot breath  onto his ear.

"But you think I'm hot, don't you?" He breathed, so an immense shiver rattled down Harry's back. Harry didn't even know what words were anymore, it seemed, as they all danced around in his head and prevented him from forming a proper sentence in response.

"I knew it," Louis breathlessly chuckled, when Harry had hesitated, "Let me just say, you're not so bad yourself, baby."

Harry moved his head away so fast in shock that he slammed it against the wall behind him. The bell that declared the end of the lesson screeched out, and Harry was still wide eyed in a result of what Louis had whispered, while rubbing the new sore spot on the back of his head. 

"What the fuck?" He whispered, with an expression of pure horror. He grabbed his bag and squeezed past a smirking Louis, speedily heading towards the door. 

"Oh my god, Harry, it was a joke!" Louis yelled, with a laugh, after him, grabbing his own stuff and taking the same route out of the classroom, dodging past all of his classmates. Harry was making a speedy getaway, still rubbing his head while walking fast around the corner. 

"Harry, you faggot, it was a fucking joke! No need to overreact!" Louis stopped jogging after Harry, lightly panting, figuring trying to catch up with the curly-haired boy would be no use. 

God, couldn't Harry take a fucking joke?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts? Any small requests? :)


	23. Chapter Twenty-Three

"Look, I just think he's been kinda lonely at the moment." Hannah sighed, referring to Harry, "Don't you think we were a bit harsh on him?"

In attempt to further impress Louis, she needed to befriend Harry again by getting Niall and Perrie on her side. If she could do this, she could acquiescently do as Louis wanted: to ask Harry questions. 

Niall looked as though he was contemplating it, as his face had merged into a thinking one. He quirked his mouth to the side and hummed, thoughtfully, whereas Perrie had already agreed to let Harry back into their friendship group -- being the forgiving girl she was. 

"We'll give him a chance, I guess." He gave in, causing Hannah to cheer. "As long as he stays away from Louis. You know, I really feel like Louis is changing him, because-"

He stopped talking when Harry came round the corner, towards the classroom. Harry immediately saw the three pairs of eyes on him, wondering whether it was because he was wearing full black and eyeliner again. 

"Harry, come here." Perrie called, waving him over. Harry furrowed his eyebrows, trying not to roll his eyes, as he approached them.

"Wanna hang out today?" Niall smiled. Harry sighed, loudly, pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance. 

"Why are you all trying to make friends with me again, all of a sudden? You hated me, didn't you?" 

"Because we feel horrible. We miss a wonderful friend like you." Hannah sympathised, patting Harry's arm. There was a sickly sweet tone in her voice that didn't sound entirely genuine. He took the apology, anyway, with a pinch of salt. 

"Alright... I'm gonna accept your... apology. I'll hang out with you at lunchtime." He said, unsurely, instantly caged in a hug by his three ex-friends (who now seemed to be pretty fond of him again, for an unknown reason).

He was just curious as to why they suddenly wanted him back, seeing as they were so horrible and misunderstanding towards him before. What did they want from him? 

\- - -

Harry did join them at lunch, around the table in the canteen, like the days before they fell out. He felt awkward, as all of their eyes were on him, but he didn't care because he was relieved that he had some proper friends again; he didn't really class Louis as a 'close friend'.

It seemed that good things never lasted when Louis and co. walked into the canteen, approaching the table. Was this some sort of plan? Did Louis know Harry had made up with Hannah and the other two? 

"Curly!" Louis greeted, smugly, ruffling Harry's hair violently from behind him. Harry shut his eyes and exhaled slowly, trying to bring his levels of irritation down as Louis slid into the chair next to him. Zayn sat next to a bashful Perrie, while Liam sat the other side of Zayn. 

"How are we all? Anyone been on any dates recently?" Louis queried, deliberately, with a prominent smirk, nudging Harry's leg with his own under the table, so Harry noisily shifted his chair away.

"You know, everyone, I heard Harry went on a date Saturday night with a guy, and he got laid!" Louis informed everyone, proudly. Everyone on the table, including Harry's so-called friends, couldn't help but snicker laughs. 

"I didn't get laid!" Harry yelled, frustratingly, "Stop making stuff up!"

"You didn't? Thanks for telling me, Virgin Mary." Louis muttered under his breath, with a smirk, and Harry only now knew that he had answered the question Louis had probably been wondering for hours. 

Everyone was looking at Harry now, clearly trying to hold in their laughter at Harry's redening, baffled face. 

"You were closer to getting laid by a boy than I was." Harry grumbled, in a half whisper, and Louis kicked him so hard under the table that he yelped in pain, whispering a quick apology. He could never properly stand up for himself to Louis. He did try, but at the end of the day Louis was the bigger man, here. At least, this is what he earlier thought.

"Anyway," Perrie sang, hastily changing the subject, "I heard Mr Gordon wants us all to do a second part to those poetry projects."

Harry felt like his whole world crumbled around him. Flashbacks overtook his brain of Louis telling him to leave his house, after he found out about Harry's sexuality, and he honestly wanted to cry. 

"I love that project!" Louis exclaimed, sarcastically excited, knowing it would remind Harry of the incident at his house. Harry already remembered, anyway, very vividly. 

"Yeah, because you made me do all the work." Harry spat, rubbing his eye with the pad of his thumb. Louis leant into Harry's ear, and this time Harry was close to slapping him away, but he didn't. Curiosity killed the cat.

"You probably love doing all the work, if you know what I mean." Louis breathed, voice lowering towards the end of the sentence. 

Okay, no. Harry had tolerated Louis' stupid, deniably straight comments for long enough now to just ignore them. 

"Can you just stop being such a freak?" Harry growled, pushing his chair back and standing up. Niall, Perrie, Hannah, Zayn and Liam were all watching now, shocked as to why Harry was suddenly reacting like this. 

"Louis, you're not straight." Harry snapped. "I don't know what you are, gay or bisexual, but you are not just only interested in girls. I'm fed up with you acting as though you can do absolutely anything before using the 'I'm straight' card. Well, here's some news for you: you like dick, and I know it!"

The entire canteen had ceased their conversations, having experienced Harry's rant. The room was eerily silent, and Louis' eyes had turned so wide that he looked like he could pass out at that moment. Niall stifled a laugh across the table, filling the silence, and this small outburst caused the whole room, except Louis and Hannah, to explode into thunderous, mocking laughter. Harry had backed away slightly from the table, wondering why the hell he had allowed himself to get so confrontational, and he regretted it when Louis stood up, lividly. 

"You'll fucking regret this, you little prick." Louis breathed, surprising Harry by turning on his feet and storming away, without causing any violent scene whatsoever. There was still a loud atmosphere in the room, as humoured people hurriedly discussed what had happened amongst themselves, while Zayn and Liam had scurried off after their flustered, defeated friend. 

"Wow, Harry," Niall was still choking on laughs, "Did you see the look on his face?!"

"I'm scared," Harry whispered, face paling and palms sweating, "He's probably going to fucking kill me."

Hannah was staring into space, eyes lifeless, as though she was going to cry. Harry only now took into account that she had true feelings for Louis and he had ruined her chances, but he didn't apologise. No, Harry wasn't going to apologise. All he did was speak the truth, right?

He was just eminently afraid now. What was Louis going to do to get back at him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this was shit, tbh. I deleted a previous attempt I had of this and rewrote it in half an hour, so I hope it's up to scratch.
> 
> Again, thoughts? I know there hasn't been much larry action lately but I needed to mend Harry's friendship with Niall, Perrie and Hannah first. I'm always happy with ideas from people for future chapters :) <3


	24. Chapter Twenty-Four

"Have you seen Louis yet?" Perrie quizzed, as she walked towards the classroom with just Harry.

"Nope," Harry sighed, popping the 'p', "But I'm absolutely terrified to sit next to him for an hour."

"Ah, I wouldn't worry about it if I were you. If Mr Gordon's in the room then Louis won't be able to hurt you." She reassured, patting his back to comfort him.

"I bloody hope so, otherwise this'll be our last conversation." Harry cackled, even though it was more of a trepidatious laugh than a genuine one. They got into class, where everyone (including Hannah and Niall) was, but all except Louis. The strange thing was that Zayn and Liam were seated, but their 'leader' wasn't even in the room. Harry's heart sparked with a dose of hope, and he immediately thought: "what if Louis is moving schools because he's embarrassed?" Could it really be that awful?

Harry walked to his seat, with a relieved sigh, slipping into it. He had to admit, it was actually quite lonely at the back of the room with no one beside him, but he was glad that Louis wasn't there. He'd have been a goner by now if Louis had shown up. 

Perrie turned in her seat and gave Harry the thumbs up, with a bright smile, and Harry returned it.

The more Harry thought about Louis having potentially moved schools, the more he began to feel... upset. He didn't know why, but he didn't like the thought of not having a **Louis** at the school, who, along with Zayn and Liam, was practically the top of the food chain -- metaphorically speaking. 

By the end of the lesson, Harry didn't like it at all. It had just been way too quiet, and although Louis never made any contributions to the lesson or helped Harry with any classwork, it was still like something was missing from Harry's life. He hated putting it like this, but it was all he could think about. 

"Yay, mate! You didn't get your arse kicked!" Niall congratulated when their friends group had gathered outside, in the corridor. Harry weakly laughed, and Niall noticed his lack of humour. 

"Aren't you glad he wasn't here?" Niall interrogated, and Harry could sense a smugness in Niall's tone because of how many times he had teased Harry in the past about Louis. 

"Oh, I... of course I was glad!" Harry faltered.

"Tell your face, then!" Hannah chipped in, grabbing the sides of Harry's face and pushing them up to resemble a smile, so Harry complained with a laugh and batted her hands away. 

"Maybe Louis took the day off so he could think through how he's going to kill you." Niall teased. "He's gonna come in tomorrow with a plan, so you better watch out, Haz." There was a cheeky smirk on Niall's face. 

"Shut your Irish face!" Harry giggled. "If he attacks me, I want you all to save me."

"We will, Harry, even if he does have a relentless plan." Perrie grinned. 

Even though Harry had three 'body guards', they wouldn't be a match for Louis. 

\- - -

"Faggot!" A voice roared. Harry slammed his locker shut with wide eyes, glancing around the almost empty hallway. He knew that voice: Louis Tomlinson. Why was he suddenly here?! Had he finished his murderous planning?

Harry sheepishly spun on his feet and saw him. Louis. He was stood five metres or so away, fists bawled and face neutral.

Harry's next reaction was to sprint as fast as he was physically able, in the opposite direction, but Louis immediately caught onto Harry's plan and sprinted after him. Harry was being chased. Hunted.

Harry had never been agile enough to run full-force for long periods of time, so by the time he had ran onto the huge field outside, a stitch was burning its way into his hip and he was running low on oxygen. The freshly cut grass helped Harry out, allowing him to skillfully sprint his way across the field, without any resistance. He had no idea where he was meant to be running, nor did he know how close behind Louis was.

He made the mistake of turning to find the answer to the latter question, and his heart almost exploded from his chest to see that Louis was close. Dangerously close. 

Harry was very near to collapsing from exhaustion, whereas a very fit Louis upped his game, resembling the characteristics of an Olympic athlete as he used every last ounce of his strength to power forwards and push Harry to the ground. Harry found himself yelling for help next but it was no use because everybody was in class, out of earshot. 

Harry was violently trying to wrestle from underneath Louis, who was now straddling his hips while pinning his wrists above his head.

Harry twisted his head to the side on the grass, attempting to shield it from Louis while repeating "Don't hurt me" over and over again, followed by a stream of apologies for humiliating Louis yesterday.

He squeezed his eyes shut, chest heaving up and down as he still squirmed underneath Louis -- who was still silent. When Harry stopped squirming, eyes still tightly shut, Louis began to laugh. He laughed so hard that it began to come out in little squeaks. (A.N: soRRY BUT - https://youtu.be/7Pfv62_YSZc )

Harry's eyes flew open in an instant at Louis' unexpected reaction, seeing the boy above him with closed eyes as he giggled away. It sort of made him look a lot less tough. 

"What?" Harry drawled out, in humiliation. 

"Don't hurt me! I'm sorry!" Louis mocked, in an impression of Harry's voice, and Harry scrunched his nose up.

"Shut up!" He spat, but then he paused for a moment. "Wait, are you not gonna kill me?"

"No." Louis shrugged. 

"But... aren't you angry at me?"

"Well, yeah, but I'm not going to hurt you, Curly." Louis' response surprised Harry, who had only just established that Louis was still straddling him, but had let go of his wrists.

"Are you gonna, like, get off me then?" Harry awkwardly and nervously laughed, eyes flicking to where the boys' bodies met. Louis didn't reply verbally, he just shook his head, slowly, while staring at Harry. Okay... weird.

Harry didn't really know what to say now. He couldn't exactly shove Louis off of him because Louis wouldn't be happy with that, but neither did he particularly want Louis Tomlinson intimately straddling him in the middle of the school field. A heavy silence had overcome them, only filled with the occasional bird tweeting or car rushing by in the far distance. Harry looked up at Louis to see that he was staring right at him, and it was actually beginning to get a little bit creepy. 

There was a softness in Louis' eyes, though, that made Harry feel a bit less worried, even though his heart was wildly thudding in his chest. 

"What would you do if I kissed you right now?" 

Harry sucked in a harsh breath at Louis' sudden silence-filler, and to begin with he thought he had heard wrong. Louis Tomlinson... asking for a kiss with another boy? Well, the last time Harry had been offered to kiss someone was with Alex, but he had very quickly turned that away.

This, though... this felt **different**. Harry didn't want to say no.

"I'd kiss you back." He admitted in whisper. He expected Louis' face to crack into a grin, but it stayed straight. He was too concentrated to show any emotions now. The next thing Louis did do was begin to lower his head, so their faces edged closer, and Harry's heart began to pound faster as Louis' face got closer to his own.

Then, their lips met. Harry's first kiss had started. His first ever kiss, and it was with Louis Tomlinson.

Harry's eyes fluttered shut, as did Louis', and their lips started experimentally moving together. Louis' lips were surprisingly soft, and they seemed to fit perfectly against Harry's plump ones. 

What was Harry even doing? He hated Louis, yet he couldn't stop himself. One of Louis' hands found its way into Harry's curls, while the other lay flat on Harry's chest. Louis next deepened the kiss by slipping his tongue into Harry's mouth, which caused Harry to gasp into the kiss -- this causing Louis to **smirk** into the kiss. 

Their tongues passionately moving against each other, and Harry's heart skipped a beat when Louis sighed passionately into the kiss.

The moment it was taken too far was when Louis rocked his hips down against Harry's, causing them both to moan softly into each other's mouths, before their eyes shot open and they quickly pulled away from one another. 

"I-I... I didn't mean to do that," Louis stuttered, referring to the fact that he had rubbed his crotch against Harry's, and his face was reddening, "Sort of... f-force of habit."

What shook Harry up more than Louis suddenly grinding on him was the sheer fact that they had just snogged each other. 

"That was my first kiss." Harry breathed, ignoring Louis' previous, flustered stutter, and Louis had no emotion prominent on his face next. 

"Really?" Was all he could utter, and Harry shyly nodded. There was another silence then, before Louis finally got up and off of Harry (who was actually quite sad at the loss of warmth from above him).

Harry scrambled to his feet too, eyes meeting Louis', desperate for any thoughts or feelings. Did Louis' stomach explode with fireworks like Harry's did? Did Louis feel that their lips were meant to meet?

"I need to go home and get some sleep." Louis stated, flatly, still leaving Harry in the dark about what the fuck was going on.

Then Louis walked away, leaving Harry swollen-lipped and confused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts?


	25. Chapter Twenty-Five

Harry didn't even get a single wink of sleep that night. He just sat on his bed, staring at the wall ahead of him, using the night as a period of time to reflect on what had happened. 

Louis hated Harry. He had hated Harry from the word go, but now they had kissed and it felt like nothing was going to be the same again. 

It seemed as though Harry wasn't the only one awake all night, because between 1AM and 4AM, a continuous stream of texts was coming in from Louis himself.

 **Louis:** I seriously don't know what to think or say

 **Louis:** You're probably asleep right now but I just can't even close my eyes without feeling like crying

 **Louis:** Not crying because I didn't like it... but because I have no fucking idea what to do :(

Harry didn't reply to any of the texts, figuring it was for the best. All he could really think about was Alex's feelings, and the more he thought about it, the more horrible he felt. He had kissed Louis, the boy who hadn't left him deprived of violence from day one, but he had turned down a kiss from the boy who had taken him out for an expensive date. But then again, Alex had been the one Harry had caught with Louis, which still had an image burned into Harry's memory. Their breathlessness, their lack of clothes, their love bites...

The thing was: Harry just didn't feel any emotional connection to Alex, whereas there was something about Louis that made him shiver. All subjects, all words, all thoughts brought his mind back to Louis -- even when thinking about Alex. 

Harry was stuck.

\- - -

"Rise and shine! Today's a new day!" Gemma burst into Harry's bedroom, bang on seven o'clock, dramatically pulling his curtains open so the bright light hit Harry's eyes, and he squinted and groaned as he sat up.

"Man, do you look tired! Hard night?" She quizzed, perching herself on the edge of his bed. Harry childishly shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest. Gemma was immediately on his case. 

"What is it this time, eh?" She sighed, brushing a curl from Harry's eyes.

"I kissed him." Harry breathed, while stressfully rubbing his hands down his face. Gemma's face erupted into delight. 

"You kissed Alex? Harry, that's adorable! I knew your date went well!" She exclaimed, brightly, shaking Harry excitedly by the shoulders. Harry opened his mouth to speak the truth, but the happiness on his big sister's face stopped him in his tracks. 

"Y-Yeah," He chuckled, lightly, "I was worried what you'd think, that's all." Lies, complete lies. All of it was complete lies. 

"Well, I'm ecstatic that my little brother's found love! Maybe he'll talk some sense into you." Gemma smiled. "You'll have to have him round for dinner one night, that'd be fun. I'd like to get to know him."

Oh no. Oh god, no! If Alex was going to come round, Gemma would probably slip up and mention the kiss, and then Alex would look baffled and break it to her that it was a lie. Oh god, oh god, oh god!

"He, umm, has strict parents. They probably wouldn't let him." Harry shrugged, lying once again. 

"Yet... they let him go out to a restaurant with you? Alone?" 

For fuck's sake, Harry was failing so miserably. 

"Yeah." He muttered. "Anyway, leave! I have to get ready for school!"

\- - -

When Harry had dressed and applied his eyeliner, he walked to school. The minute he entered the classroom and saw Louis sat there, he felt like he was going to faint. Not because he wasn't expecting Louis to be sat there, but because he couldn't face this. He just couldn't. 

Louis' eyes didn't lift once from the floor as he allowed Harry to pass, and sit down. Harry nervously chewed his bottom lip, feeling his entire body shaking with an apprehensive feeling. 

At one point in the lesson, Louis let out a shaky sigh and let his forehead meet the surface of the table, on his folded arms. Harry knew how he was feeling. Louis wanted himself to be straight, after denying being gay so many times, but now it was impossible to deny. Unless... he didn't really care about Harry. 

Harry's phone buzzed in his pocket, and he warily got it out under the table. 

**Alex:** do u want to come to my friend's house next weekend? Me and a few mates are just gonna have a drink and chill. They'd love to meet you :) xxxx

Harry glanced to the left to suddenly find Louis' eyes on his phone screen, reading the text. He then met eyes with Harry, for the first time since yesterday, and he had a very straight and unreadable expression. 

"So... you're still taken, then?" He whispered, almost sounding drained. Harry felt like his heart broke slightly, yet he strangely wanted to continue with Alex. He wanted Alex (well, this was how he was hoping to feel soon, but it wasn't happening just yet).

"Yeah, kind of..." He whispered, shrugging, slowly. "Listen, Louis, I am so sorry for kissing you back because I really shouldn't have. I'm seeing someone so I've kind of let him and myself down, really."

"And me." Louis muttered under his breath, but Harry didn't hear. He was too busy texting Alex back. 

**Harry:** I'd love to. Text me details later, I'm in class right now xxxx

He locked his phone and slipped it back into his pocket, all while Louis was blankly staring forwards. What was he thinking about? He had been acting so unreadable lately. One second he acts as though he completely regretted the kiss, then the next he's acting like he's the victim. He was messing up Harry's life.

\- - -

That night, before Harry went to sleep, he received a final text.

 **Louis:** I hope whoever you're with, you're really happy with. I'll continue being straight, I guess, because I just can't come to terms with this whole gay thing. I just want you to go to sleep knowing that not a moment has passed since I kissed you when I haven't been thinking about you. I guess we can still be... friends, yeah? Good night, Harry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little pre-notice, guys. From Monday, August 3rd to Friday, August 7th, I'm going on holiday to Spain so I won't be updating for that period of time. Sorry! I still have two more updates after this one before then, and I'll update as soon as I'm home on the Friday. :)


	26. Chapter Twenty-Six

The weekend Harry was to spend with Alex very soon came around. Again, Harry removed his eyeliner and dressed brightly. Harry still felt pretty awful for kissing Louis but he knew that he could get past it if he got to know Alex even better than he did so far. 

Alex came to pick Harry up at 7PM, looking more casual this time in jeans and a band t-shirt. Harry sort of liked seeing him more like this, apposed to the fancy chinos and shirts. 

"You look cute," Alex complimented, "My friends are dying to meet you, they're already at my place."

Harry blushed but stayed quiet, as Alex started the car and pulled out onto the road. Harry shyly drummed his fingers on his lap, wondering why he had actually agreed to go when he hadn't even known Alex for that long yet.

It was strange to think how both Louis and Harry had been involved in some way with Alex, then Harry kissed Louis. It was like, in some way, they had all partly been involved with one another. This was weird to think, so Harry immediately stopped.

They soon pulled up to a block of flats, in a grotty car park. Harry wasn't really sure what to expect.

"So... are your parents gonna be here?" Harry asked, nervously, as they entered the building and began to climb the metal, paint-peeling staircase. Alex turned to Harry briefly with an amused expression.

"Harry, I'm nineteen. I live on my own." He informed, logically. 

Oh.

Harry wasn't sure whether to feel a little bit less relieved, because he didn't awkwardly have to meet Alex's mum and dad, but he still had to meet Alex's friends. 

"How many of your friends are here?" Harry questioned, as they reached a door on floor two and Alex pulled some keys from his pocket. 

"Two." He said. Oh god, Harry didn't know how he was going to face sitting in a flat with three nineteen-year-old boys, while his seventeen-year-old, socially awkward self tripped over his own words. 

The door was unlocked and opened, and Alex led Harry inside. Harry slipped off his shoes, politely, setting them by the other pairs of shoes near the door. Alex did the same, before leading Harry through the small flat, into the living room area. Harry instantly became aware of Alex's two friends, sat around, watching a football match on the television.

"Boys, come and introduce yourselves!" Alex commanded, playfully. The first to spin on the sofa to see Harry was a mixed race, cool-looking boy, wearing high tops and baggy jeans. 

"Hey, man!" He greeted, jumping up from the sofa and pulling Harry into a manly hug, so the curly-haired boy laughed awkwardly and told the boy his name. 

"I know your name, mate, Alex never stops talking about you. I'm Leo, by the way." He smiled, warmly. Harry felt a little bit more relaxed. The other lad soon introduced himself, too - a boy with a natural tan, dark brown hair and Hazel eyes.

"I'm Jacob, and you're Harry, I already know." He chuckled, before Harry could say so, and Jacob shook his hand. 

"Anyway, Lads, who wants a drink, then?" Alex asked, clapping his hands together as he diverted his gaze between Harry, Leo and Jacob. 

"A beer, if you've got any," Jacob requested. 

"I'll have the same, mate," Leo said.

Alex's face turned to Harry, who was panicking on the inside.

"I, umm, I'll have a can of coke." He said, softly, face reddening a bit. Leo and Jacob cooed, finding the fact that Harry didn't drink alcohol cute, and Harry was glad they didn't just humiliate and taunt him.

"Alright. You three sit down, I'll be right back." Alex grinned, leaving the room and walking to the kitchen. Leo and Jacob sat down, and Leo patted the sofa to tell Harry to take a seat.

"No need to be shy, Harry." He reassured, so Harry timidly perched himself on the edge of the soft sofa. Harry tried to keep his eyes on the TV, as the other two boys were, but his phone buzzed in his pocket. Even though he had Jacob and Leo's attention, he pulled out his phone and read the text. 

**Louis:** Was wondering whether you wanted to hang out with me tomorrow? Li and Zayn are busy, and I think we sort of need to remove the awkwardness between us. Agreed? :)

Harry locked his phone and didn't reply. Yeah, he wouldn't mind spending a little bit of time with Louis, but right now he was with Alex, Leo and Jacob. 

Alex soon returned with the requested drinks, handing them out to each correct person before sitting down, on Harry other side. 

"So, Harry," Leo turned to him, drink in hand, "Alex mentioned that you two went on a date." He wiggled his eyebrows up and down, causing Harry to giggle -- and this caused all three other boys to smile. 

"Yeah, it was fun." Harry lied. It was pretty much a lie because he had been excited to go home throughout the duration of it. 

"But you didn't even let me kiss you." Alex put on a pout. "Did I tell you that, boys? He doesn't kiss on first dates!"

Harry immediately had a flashback of Louis' soft lips and moans and hands in Harry's hair, and it made him shiver. He had kissed Louis but not Alex. 

"Then how long will it take to get some sex out of him, eh?" Jacob smirked, nudging a laughing Alex, and Harry literally felt like running out of the flat. How could Jacob say something so inappropriate?!

"I don't know, but I know it won't take much convincing." Alex cockily said, and Harry bit his tongue to hold back a snappy remark. Leo and Jacob were smirking and chuckling, placing their hands on Harry's thighs and shifting closer. Harry held his breath, sipping at his coke, staring at the TV with a blank face. 

"Maybe we could all take turns, if you're lucky." Alex sang, lowly, and Harry immediately stood up and slammed his coke can onto the coffee table. The three boys were watching in confusion, baffled by Harry's sudden reaction.

"I need to go and make a phone call." He sighed, putting on a smile -- thus relieving the other boys. They all agreed, so Harry shakily edged towards the door, slipping his shoes on by the front door and leaving. He paced around the worn-down corridor, scrolling down his contacts list and pressing the call button on the required one.

"Come on... pick up, pick up..." He beseeched in whisper, shutting his eyes and crossing his fingers with his free hand. 

"Hello, Harry, are you okay?"

"Louis... can we meet up now?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long story short: Alex is a dick around his friends.


	27. Chapter Twenty-Seven

Harry wrapped his flimsy jacket tighter around himself, trying to ignore how uncomfortable the fence was, on which he now sat. It was now nearing 8:30PM and Harry's phone was buzzing like mad in his front pocket. 

**Alex:** Where the hell are you?! 

**Alex:**  I'm sorry, we didn't even mean the stuff we were saying. It's just friendly banter, can you not take it??

 **Alex:** tell me where you are or I'll continue thinking you've been fucking kidnapped!!!

Harry deeply sighed and stuffed his phone back into his pocket. Maybe Alex was telling the truth, and they were just joking around, but that didn't change the fact that it scared Harry. Three nineteen-year-old boys 'joking' about 'taking turns' with Harry was NOT funny, nor did it in any way, shape or form convey 'banter'. Harry was still mentally conflicting with himself on whether or not to accept Alex's apology, but his thoughts were interrupted when a large, navy blue car pulled into the car park. 

Harry sprung up from the fence when the car came to a halt, and its door opened to reveal a worried-looking Louis. Harry surprised both Louis and himself by taking a run up and wrapping Louis in a warm hug. 

"Hey, hey, what's with all this?" Louis chuckled, awkwardly, evidently not a very loving or romantic person. His body was stiff, as if he had never been hugged like that before. 

"Just glad you actually came." Harry admitted, in relief, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he took a few steps back, to decrease the space between them again, after things got a bit tense.

"Why? What's going on?" Louis questioned, in concern, eyeing the flats. "Whose flat were you in?"

Harry took a deep, shaky breath, lightly shaking his head. "It doesn't matter, Louis."

"It clearly does if you're glad to see... me." Louis whispered the final word, as though he knew he'd be Harry's last resort. Harry scuffed the toe of his converse trainer on the pavement. "C'mon, Harry, we're friends, aren't we? We can tell each other anything."

The use of 'friends' managed to hurt Harry. Yeah, he and Louis were supposed to be just 'friends', but it still felt like a knife stabbing into Harry's heart. Louis just didn't seem like he'd be labelled as Harry's mate, for a strange, unknown reason. 

"I was with the guy I've been seeing." Harry shrugged, seeing Louis' face fall in disappointment. He tried to hide it but failed to. 

"Did he hurt you?" Louis growled, jaw clenching. 

"No, he didn't hurt m-"

"Did he, like... touch you?" 

Harry went to open his mouth but he stopped before he uttered a word. His eyes met his feet. 

"Well, he sort of threatened to," Harry sighed, "But, like, as a joke, y'know? He wouldn't actually do it."

"You don't joke about that." Louis breathed, lowering the volume of his voice in order to hide his concern. He didn't want to seem like he cared. 

"I promise, I didn't get hurt by it, I-"

"What's his room number?" Louis snapped, after once again letting his eyes wander over the block of flats, which was dark due to the time of night, but each individual window was lit up from the inside. 

"Listen, I don't want to start any fights. Let's just go... please?" Harry begged, gazing at Louis with pleading eyes. Louis nibbled his bottom lip, finally ripping his eyes away from the building as he listened to Harry. 

"Fine." He surrendered. "What do you wanna do?"

As Louis asked this, Harry's phone began violently buzzing in his pocket, before starting to ring. Louis' eyes flicked down to the source of the ringing, watching the lit up pocket with a hard stare. There were three solutions to what was on Louis' mind:

1) He wanted it to just answer itself, somehow.   
2) He wanted Harry to answer it.  
3) He wanted to answer it himself. 

The answer became clear next.

"Let me answer it." He commanded. Harry's eyes wildly flew open. 

"No, no, that's not needed right now, Louis." Harry shook his head, scooping his phone out to see that it was in fact Alex ringing, as expected. 

"Come on, give me the fucking phone." Louis breathed, trying to remain calm. 

"No!" Harry yelled, holding it away from Louis. 

"EITHER I TALK TO THIS DICKHEAD OVER THE PHONE OR I GO IN THERE AND PUT HIM IN HOSPITAL!" Louis warned, pointing lividly to the building, "IT'S YOUR CHOICE."

Harry's heart was drumming in his chest as he decided. He passed over the phone, too afraid of Louis at that moment to do otherwise. Louis took the phone that Harry handed him, pressing answer and putting it on loudspeaker, so Harry could hear. Harry bet it was so Louis could show off about how scared he could make Alex. 

"Listen, pal, I don't know who the fuck you are but I just want to tell you that you need to learn some fucking respect towards Harry!" Louis exclaimed, madly, into the speaker. There was a short silence on the other side, then a deep breath. 

"Wait... is that Louis? I recognise your voice." Alex interrogated. Harry's plan had fallen in on itself now, and he had completely forgotten that Louis and Alex knew each other. For the wrong reasons. 

"Alex." Louis stated, flatly, eyes landing on Harry and glaring. Glaring like on the first day Harry met Louis. Harry was afraid now of what Louis would think. 

"Isn't this a crazy coincidence?" Alex chuckled, darkly, knowing it was getting to Louis. "The boy who was close to fucking me himself is now telling me off for trying it on with another boy. What a small world."

Louis was trying to steady his breathing, eyes now tightly shut as his chest rose and fell quickly.

"I don't care who you are," He whispered, "But I care if you're mistreating Harry. He deserves better than that."

Louis' eyes flicked open to connect with Harry's, and Harry gave a small, thankful smile. 

"You know, Louis, you could join in if you really want to. You know, with fucking little Harry. I know that this is what it's about, isn't it?" Alex questioned, evilly, voice lowering. Harry's eyes shut, quickly, dreading Louis' reaction.

"I will knock you out if you keep badmouthing Harry." Louis threatened, hand tightening around Harry's phone. 

"Oh, did I get it wrong, then? It's actually you who wants to fuck little Harry, isn't it? You're getting angry at me because you're just jealous, Louis." Alex sang, lowly. Harry felt his stomach flip and his cheeks heat up, and Louis was trying to hold back a smirk. He managed to restrain it.

"Goodnight, Alex," He said, "And just so you know, if you go near Harry again, you'll have me to deal with. Do you understand me?"

Alex hung up, then, without saying anything further. Louis sucked in a harsh breath, holding the phone back out in Harry's direction. 

"Oh, well... thanks." Harry spoke, slowly, taking the phone back so Louis' hand brushed over his. There was a short period of no speaking, while Harry put his phone away and Louis stuffed his hands in the pockets of his black hoodie. 

"So," Louis breathed, smiling, softly, "Would you ever have actually... let him sleep with you?"

"No." Harry almost immediately replied, because it was true. He didn't even want to kiss Alex, let alone sleep with him! 

"Then who **would** you sleep with?" There was an almost suggestive tone in Louis' voice, causing Harry's face to crack into a cheeky grin. 

"Well," He said, "Friends don't tell each other absolutely everything, do they?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter until the 7th. I'm sorry if it was crappy but I've been stressing all day. I added in a few suggestive parts here and there, to build up ;) . Anyway, I hope you liked it, and I'll update on Friday <3


	28. Chapter Twenty-Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So heeey, I'm back. Sorry for leaving you Larry-deprived for a few days! :( I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I am hoping to update more that once tomorrow to make up for the time I didn't update this week.  
> I'm hoping the start of this chapter gives an insight into Alex's view on Louis...

Harry was glad he wasn't involved with Alex anymore. Sure, it was nice to have someone to call your boyfriend - even though Harry never was sure if they got that far - but he could handle being single, too. Come to think of it, he actually wasn't entirely sure why he got involved with Alex in the first place, because he didn't particularly have a crush on him, but it was a new experience, anyway.

He didn't delete Alex's number at first. He convinced himself to keep it in his contacts list, but wasn't entirely sure why. Something inside of him just told him to. And therefore he started to receive negative texts from Alex, but he still didn't delete his number. 

**Alex:** You're ridiculous. I invite you round my place and me and my mates have a bit of a laugh and you decide to run off like a fucking baby and call Louis!!!

 **Alex:** He's just like me, Harry. No, forget that, he's WORSE than me! You think I'm the one trying to get you into bed but have you ever thought about Louis being like that too? Well I'll be the first to tell you that he's a manwhore. A MANWHORE. He'll probably act like he cares about you, he'll completely use you and be as rough as he wants and then he'll act as though you don't even exist the next day! I'm just warning you and getting you prepared for the disappointment, because it's just inevitable. I wish I could have told you sooner, to be honest. 

**Alex:** I'm the best you'll ever have so I'm just waiting for you to come crawling back. I'll be at my place when you decide to.

Harry slammed his phone down, rolling over in his bed so the covers were over his head. Those texts weren't ones he would have chosen to have woken up to. It was the day after the confrontational phone call -- a Sunday morning. 

After Louis had finished the phone call to Alex the previous night, he had driven Harry home in silence. It was one of the most awkward moments of Harry's life, considering they had not long before been bantering about who they'd sleep with. The tone of Louis' voice was always so soft and suggestive and it always made Harry's stomach flip, not like Alex's voice ever could. 

At the end of the day, Harry couldn't stop thinking about sleeping with Louis. It was that sort of moment where he didn't want to think about it, because he didn't want to have those types of feelings for Louis, but he just couldn't help it. He couldn't  stop feeling hot and bothered when thinking about what Louis would be like in bed, and it constantly made him shiver under his skin. 

Harry managed to shake this thought from his head... Yeah, Louis had kind of saved Harry from Alex, but that didn't mean Harry should think of Louis as more than a friend, did it? He was a friend but also a bit of a bad influence on Harry, seeing as he had made Harry smoke. Harry wasn't addicted to cigarettes, considering he hadn't had one in a week or more now, but this didn't subside the fact that he had attempted such a horrible act at such a young age.

Harry ended up dragging himself out of bed by 11:30AM, knowing that he'd end up staying in there all day on his phone if he didn't, and then his mum would get angry at him and call him lazy. Still in an old, baggy t-shirt and pyjama bottoms, he jogged down the stairs, where his fully dressed mum and sister were watching the TV. His mum didn't seem as mad at him anymore and this may have been due to the fact that she wasn't particularly someone able to hold grudges against others for too long. She always ended up forgiving people, just like Gemma did. Sadly, Harry too was like this, a sensitive person, but he was going to try and stop himself from forgiving and 'crawling back to' a very cocky, arrogant Alex. 

"So you're not dead, then." Gemma laughed, when she spotted Harry in the doorway, leaning on the door frame. Harry squinted his eyes as a non-verbal way to tell her to shut up, walking in and sitting on leather armchair, facing in on the left of the television. 

"Oh! I didn't tell you, Harry, did I?" Anne exclaimed in realisation, causing Harry's face to scrunch up.

"Well, it's sort of hard to determine whether you've told me whatever this is if I'm oblivious to said thing." Harry yawned, clasping a hand over his mouth whilst ruffling his curls with the other, in attempt to tame them. 

"Your grandparents are coming round for dinner tonight, so I want you on your best behaviour," Anne informed, sternly, "No bad attitude, no eyeliner, no black clothes and certainly no smoking. Okay?"

Harry still saw the pain in Anne's eyes when she mentioned the smoking. She probably just couldn't get past the fact that her youngest child had done such a thing and hide it from her, too. 

"Can I not just wear what I want?" Harry complained, with a pained expression. "They should be able to just accept how I like to dress, mum. I don't want to create someone I'm not for the sake of their expectations."

"I think you already **are** creating someone you're not by dressing so... so strangely! It's not like you, Haz, and I'm beginning to think you're picking up this obscure style off of someone else."

Shit, was it that obvious? Harry never really wanted to admit it to himself, but he had completely copied Louis and co.'s style because he just believed it looked good. There's nothing bad about that, is there? 

"Who would I have even copied it off?" Harry scoffed. Gemma was staring at Harry, blankly, so he gave her a questioning look. 

"We know this isn't from Alex because he dresses so handsomely," Gemma began, and Harry cringed at the name. 

"Who's Alex?" Anne questioned, causing Harry to nibble his bottom lip, nervously.

"Just, uh, a friend." Harry lied, and Anne seemed to believe it.

"The only other person you've ever mentioned before is that guy you did the project with. Louis, was it?" Gemma cocked an eyebrow, and Harry felt like he had been busted. "By the looks of that profile picture of his I saw, he was wearing eyeliner."

"Shut up!" Harry yelled, angrily, "Do you really think I'd like him after he kicked me out of his house? You know how upset I got, Gemma. And anyway, who'd want to be friends with someone like him? He's manipulative and stupid and thinks he rules the fucking world!"

Gemma and Anne were staring at Harry, slightly wide-eyed, at his sudden outburst. 

"You sure seem to get touchy about it, but whatever you say." Gemma said, unconvinced, raising her hands in surrender. Harry huffed and stood up, leaving the room. 

\- - -

Harry had applied a thick layer of black eyeliner and had dressed in his signature style of skintight, black jeans and a black v-neck t-shirt. He didn't care what his mum said because she didn't control his life, and he was allowed to wear whatever he liked. His grandparents weren't going to judge him... too much. 

He was halfway down the stairs, hearing his mum frantically retrieving her best China plates from the cupboard, then next came the smell of roast potatoes. Harry couldn't stand the taste of a traditional Sunday roast because there were too many vegetables for his liking, and the plate just looked far too busy. He usually just picked at the chicken and left everything else to get scraped into the bin later. 

Gemma wandered out of the living room, spotting Harry stood on the stairs. She sighed, heavily, quirking her mouth to the side and crossing her arms over her chest as she leant on one hip.

"What?" Harry hissed, returning the stare. 

"Harry, it's like when you wear all of that, you also wear a very bad attitude. I guess you're not listening to mum, then?"

"She can't make me dress how she wants. She probably wants me in a fucking tuxedo with a little bowtie." Harry remarked, in a sarcastically sweet voice, causing Gemma to stifle a laugh. She shook her head, lightly, before entering the kitchen. 

Harry proceeded to the dining room, sitting in one of five of the chairs, pulling out his phone to see a text from Louis. 

**Louis:** What are you up to, curly? x

A kiss. Harry grinned as he bit his bottom lip, tapping out a quick reply. 

**Harry:** Just about to have my grandparents round for dinner. Pray for me, please .x

He might as well put a kiss back, right? They were friends after all.

 **Louis:** Sounds so fun! Not ;) xx

Two kisses. Alright. 

**Harry:** I'm gonna have the time of my life ;) .xxx

Three. Beat that, Louis. 

**Louis:** I bet you are! Wish I was there ;) xxxx

Harry couldn't help but feel his stomach flip. He was probably being dirty minded when he couldn't help but reread the final sentence of Louis' text again and again, along with the kisses and winking face. Just then, Anne, Gemma and Harry's grandparents were entering the dining room. Anne's face fell in disappointment when she saw Harry's outfit choice, and she set down some plates full of food, and so did Gemma, until there were five plates set out on the tabletop. 

**Harry:** Gotta go, about to eat. Speak another time .xxxxx

Harry locked his phone and stuffed it into his pocket. Gemma sat by Harry, Anne sat at the head of the table and Harry's grandparents sat opposite he and Gemma. They were eyeing him, as they tucked into their food. 

"So, Harry... you've changed a lot since we last saw you." His grandmother said, slowly, as she chewed her food. Harry was moving the food around his plate with his knife, frowning down at it as he replied. 

"Oh." He said, simply, and he felt Gemma kick him, hard, under the table, as if to tell him to stop being rude. "Have I? How so?" Harry perked up, brightly, meeting his grandmother's eyes.

"Well... your clothes and face, I guess." She put on a smile, even though Harry could tell she wasn't very comfortable about the change. Harry shot her a pretty convincing fake smile, before making eye contact with Anne. She didn't show an expression, and she quickly looked away and began chatting away with Harry's grandparents, which relieved Harry because the attention was off him. He ate some of his chicken but then pushed away his plate a little. He felt his phone buzz in his pocket, catching Gemma's attention too. He pulled it out and held it near his lap. 

**Louis:** I'll text you later tonight, curly, if you're busy now ;) xxxxxx

"I thought you weren't involved with him at all? Why did you lie?" Gemma whispered from Harry's side, causing him to jump. Harry definitely didn't think about the fact that 'Louis' was clearly the contact name, at the top of the screen. Harry was pretty much lost for words.

"What're you two planning on talking about tonight? Harry, you're only seventeen, remember?" She quizzed, in concern. Harry felt his cheeks heat up, and his eyes widened. 

"No, no, no!" He exclaimed, quickly, "We're just going to talk... like, normally, not like... y'know? We're just..." He stuttered out and trailed off, stuffing his phone back into his pocket, quickly. 

"Yeah, even though he sent a winky face and kisses." Gemma muttered under her breath, with a smirk. "Just remember that you can't be playing Alex around." She whispered in his ear. 

Harry wanted to both tell her that he and Alex were over, and show her the other texts, so she knew what he was saying to Louis was just banter, but Anne hastily cut in.

"Harry, put that phone away! It's rude." She snapped, glaring at the device in his hand. 

"He's just talking to his boyfriend, mum." Gemma snickered. 

"He has a boyfriend?" Anne and both of Harry's grandparents asked at once, with slight happiness for him in their tones. 

"For fuck's sake, no! I don't have a bloody boyfriend so stop butting into my life, for crying out loud!"

That was all it took for Harry to get sent up to his bedroom. It was partly, again, something bad that was a result of Louis fucking Tomlinson.


	29. Chapter Twenty-Nine

"BOO!" 

Harry jumped as this remark was yelled in his ear and his body was shoved forwards slightly in surprise. He had only just arrived at school on a Monday morning, so he wasn't exactly in the mood to have Louis Tomlinson attempting and very much succeeding to frighten him. 

He held a hand to his heart in shock, heart rate speedy, as well as his breathing, as he turned to face a smirking Louis. 

"Jesus! Just give me a heart attack, why don't you?!" He whined a complaint, having to restrain himself from slapping Louis around the face, because he knew that wouldn't end too well. 

"I thought I'd wake you up, considering you looked like you were half-dead from over there," Louis said, smugly.

"Yeah, because I'm tired." He grumbled, as they joined the back of their class and headed inside the classroom. "Hmm, I wonder why? Maybe it's due to the fact that you wouldn't stop texting me at two o'clock in the fucking morning!"

And it was true. Harry's phone began frantically buzzing on his bedside table with texts such as:

 **Louis:** I can't sleep, help me.

 **Louis:** I think there's a murderer downstairs, I can hear footsteps :(

 **Louis:** don't worry, it's just my sister haha

 **Louis:** CURLY, WAKE UP!!! I'M WIDE AWAKE AND BORED AS FUCK

Harry had ended up replying with:

 **Harry:** FUCK OFF!!! I NEED SOME MOTHERFUCKING SLEEP AND MY PHONE BUZZING AND SKDOTKSKJKDOFEKKE SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!!!

It had in fact shut Louis up, but Harry couldn't get to sleep after that. He figured Louis had gotten some sleep in the end, seeing as he didn't resemble any form of being tired right now, unless he was just some sort of fucking god who always managed to look immaculate. 

Niall waved at Harry with a smile from the front of the room when Harry was making his way to his seat at the back, so Harry hastily and happily returned it. Harry scooted along into his seat, and Louis sat close by his side, as per usual.

"Sooo," Louis sang in whisper, "How did the dinner with your grandparents go?"

Harry had a rather awkward flashback of being sent to his bedroom, after the outburst that he wasn't dating anyone and everyone should stay out of his life. He had to lie to Louis. 

"Really well, thanks." He smiled, softly, staring forwards as Mr Gordon arrived. Louis stayed silent for a large majority of the lesson, surprisingly, but didn't stay so quiet when Mr Gordon made an announcement at the very end. 

"As some of you may have heard, I will be setting a second part to your poetry projects, as you all worked so efficiently last time."

Harry did remember that Perrie had mentioned that Mr Gordon was going to make them all do a part two of the projects, but he didn't know if she was telling the truth or not. It all became clear now that she was. 

Harry groaned in annoyance. Even if he and Louis could be considered 'friends' now, Louis could be annoying and awkward as hell at the best of times.

"Your time for the project will begin on Friday evening and you will need to hand it in on the morning of next Monday. No excuses." Mr Gordon concluded. 

"We're going to your house this time." Louis stated, as if he was completely in charge over them both, and where they were going to go. Harry immediately started to panic. Gemma knew about Louis, and she thought there was something going on between them... If she mentioned something, it was going to be extremely awkward. 

"We probably won't be able to, sorry. My mum's... really ill at the moment." Harry lied. Louis' expression was blank. To begin with, Harry thought Louis believed the lie, but it next became evident that he didn't.

"You just don't want me to come to your house, do you?" He smirked, nudging Harry's leg under the table with his own, which was actually quite flirtatious, if you asked Harry. 

"I don't want you to, neither do I want to come to yours." Harry shrugged, deciding to tell the truth now. 

"Text me your address on Friday and I'll come round." Louis said, casually, as if disallowing Harry from backing out whatsoever. Harry rolled his eyes. As long as he kept Louis out of Gemma's sight, it should run smoothly. 

\- - -

Friday flew round unstoppably fast. When Harry arrived home that evening, he wanted to purposely text Louis the incorrect address but just felt too bad to do so. Plus, this was an important project. 

Luckily, his mum was at work at the time, until 10PM, and Gemma was staying at a friend's house until late, meaning Harry was home alone and didn't have to introduce Louis to them. 

The doorbell was ringing at ten past eight: ten minutes later than it should have been. Eight o'clock at night was a late time to be having someone round for a school project, but Louis had claimed that it was the only available time he could do that evening. Harry just had to agree, in the end.

Harry jogged down the stairs, opening up the front door, where Louis was stood. He wore the same clothes as he had worn to school, however his hair looked a little messier -- regrettably sexier than earlier, Harry had to admit. 

"Hey," He greeted, shooting a genuine smile at Harry. Harry responsed with a smile of his own before he allowed Louis to step inside. Harry shut the door behind him, watching as the still intimidating boy glanced around the new house. 

"So, umm, where should we do it?" Harry asked, nervously. Louis' face cracked into a smirk. 

"That sounds wrong." He breathed, as the smirk remained, and Harry mentally cursed both his awkwardly dirty-sounding sentence and Louis' generally dirty mind. 

"Stop being childish," Harry snickered, "Okay, where should we do the **project**?" Harry rephrased, clasping his hands together behind himself.

"Your bedroom?" Louis suggested, voice hinting a slight lowness, and Harry tried to prevent his stomach from flipping again by holding his breath and nodding quickly in agreement. Louis slipped off his scruffy Vans by the door and followed Harry up the carpeted stairs, to the landing. Harry entered his bedroom, allowing Louis in after him. 

Luckily, Harry's bedroom was usually always neat and tidy, so he didn't have to face any embarrassment with a messy room.

"Umm, you can sit at my desk or you could sit on my bed-"

Louis nonchalantly threw himself down onto Harry's bed, spreading out on his back and shutting his eyes in relaxation. 

"...Or you can **lie** on my bed..." Harry muttered, rolling his eyes at how comfortable and confident Louis was at someone else's home. Louis sat up eventually against the headboard, watching Harry as if he was waiting to hear their plan of action. 

"You could like... help me with it this time." Harry hinted, as he pulled out the new assignment booklet, throwing it onto the bed in front of Louis, who was sat cross-legged as he suspiciously eyed it.

"But I have no idea what to do." He said, dumbly, causing Harry to once again roll his eyes.

"Neither do I, dumb-arse, but that's why we learnt to read at the age of four." Harry breathed, perching himself on the edge of the bed and picking up the booklet himself and opening it.

"It says we just have to analyse where and why certain language features were used in different poems." Harry explained, after reading for a moment. It seemed simple enough, but not to Louis.

"Wait... what?"

Harry sucked in a deep breath, shutting his eyes. "Looks like I'll be doing all the work again, then." He sighed. 

\- - -

It was approaching ten o'clock, and Louis was still at Harry's house. Harry was starting to worry that his mum would arrive home soon but he knew it usually took her a further half an hour to actually get through all the late night traffic and arrive home. 

Louis had been helping, pretty much, and was making some decent inputs into the project. They both ended up on the carpet, lying on their stomachs, but now it was time for Louis to go, as they had finished the work.

"You should probably get going, now, don't you think?" Harry offered, getting to his feet and stretching his arms out in front of him. Louis did the same, before hesitantly agreeing. 

"Yeah, I should." He put on a smile, and Harry walked him out the room and down the stairs. Louis slid on his shoes and Harry opened the front door, into the pitch black night, which was lit by a few dim lampposts. 

"So... goodnight, I guess." Harry chuckled, lightly, and Louis returned the goodnight before walking out. It was freezing cold outside, and Harry had to quickly shut the door when his teeth started chattering. He felt a little bad for making Louis walk home alone in the cold, but Louis was one of the toughest and strongest people Harry knew, so it shouldn't have really been a problem.

It was a further five minutes later before Harry could hear an almost yelling, outside his house, from where he sat in the living room. He knew it wasn't his mum because it was a male voice... Louis' voice.

He opened the front door quietly, spotting Louis sat on a bench, near the road, just outside the fence of Harry's front garden. He was on the phone. He didn't know of Harry's presence behind him.

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU EXPECT, MUM?! YOU THINK I CAN JUST WANDER THE FUCKING STREETS ALL NIGHT?!" He roared into the device, causing Harry's heart to pound. What was Louis on about, with his mum? 

There was a silence as Louis listened to the person, presumably his mum, on the other side. "I'M SEVENTEEN! I CAN'T SLEEP ON THE FUCKING STREETS FOR THE WHOLE DAMN NIGHT!"

Oh.

"THEN FUCK YOU, BITCH! I FUCKING HATE YOU!" Louis furiously ended the call, throwing his head into his hands. Harry approached him, quietly. 

"Louis?" He asked, softly. Louis sharply turned, jumping, not expecting Harry to be stood behind him. There was visibly a tear in Louis' eye, that glinted in the lamppost's glow, which made him appear less intimidating and more... vulnerable. 

"Oh, I-I was just about to leave. See you on Monday." He choked out, jumping to his feet and stuffing his phone in his pocket. 

"Louis, I overheard your conversation," Harry admitted, "You don't have anywhere to go... do you?"

There was a short silence as Louis shrugged down at his feet, and Harry inhaled, deeply.

"You can stay here for tonight, you know?" Harry offered. He honestly doubted his own words, but Louis was helpless right now. Louis' eyes lifted to meet Harry's.

"Wait... really?" He asked, slowly, a hint of hopefulness in his tone. Harry warmly smiled and nodded. 

"Of course. It's like minus 5 degrees out here, come inside!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was getting a little bit longer than I expected so I'll post the next half of it in the next chapter. Sorry for the cliffhanger :(


	30. Chapter Thirty

Louis toed off his shoes again by the front door, awkwardly scratching his forearm as Harry shut the door again. It didn't hit Harry until now that his mum could arrive home any minute, and Harry hadn't even got her consent about Louis staying the night.

"Umm, should we go back upstairs?" Harry asked, trying to remain casual about the situation. Louis simply nodded, keeping his gaze down. He still seemed slightly shaken up because he was quiet, almost silent, and this just wasn't like him. Harry wondered what had happened between Louis and his mum.

They silently walked up the stairs, back into Harry's room as if it was now a routine. Louis sat at Harry's desk, sighing deeply, while Harry sat cross-legged on the carpet. 

"Louis, do you wanna talk about whatever this argument is regarding?" Harry questioned, sincerely. Louis immediately nodded, surprisingly Harry, who was expecting it would be a challenge to coax it out of Louis. 

"She, uh, found out a secret I've been hiding." Louis breathed, nibbling on his bottom lip. Harry's brows furrowed. 

"What's the secret?"

Louis sighed, "An old family friend of ours, his name's Ben, I owe him two-thousand pounds, and-"

"Wait..." Harry cut him off, "Two-thousand pounds? How the hell?!"

"Listen, it's drug-related," Louis whispered, "I used to deal for him and, well, one day a foolish, fifteen-year old me decided to blow that two-thousand on a new phone. I was stupid and I didn't think it through, but now he's threatening to hurt my family if he doesn't get that money back."

Harry was speechless. He tried to register what he had just been told, but it was merely impossible.

"So, let me get this straight... you were fifteen, dealing drugs for a close family friend and you never gave him the money that you received from buyers?"

"Yeah, that's right." Louis sighed, drumming his fingernails on the edge of the desk. 

"Wow, well... what're you planning on doing about it?"

Louis shrugged, carelessly. "Not sure. Anyway, he doesn't scare me. He's only twenty."

"Three years older? So he was eighteen at the time? Christ, Louis, didn't you think about what you were getting yourself into?"

"As I said before, I was stupid and dumb. My mum hates me for it, I'm guessing she found out by getting bad phone calls from him. That's why I can't sleep at my house tonight, because she's furious at me."

Next, a thick silence fell over them. Harry was still deep in thought, when he heard the front door open downstairs.

"Harry, I'm home!" Anne yelled up the stairs, and Harry cursed aloud, causing Louis to give him a questioning look. 

"I'm going to sleep now, stay out of my room, please!" Harry shouted back, biting his lip as he awaited a reply. 

"Alright, lazy-arse." She called back, before wandering off into the living room, downstairs.

"I'm guessing your mum's home?" Louis chuckled, and Harry rolled his eyes and nodded. 

"Are you tired?" Harry asked. 

"A little, yeah. Got a lot on my mind." Louis stressed, running a hand through his feathery hair. 

"Alright. Here," Harry jumped up and pulled a spare blanket from his wardrobe, along with a pillow, "I'll sleep on the floor. You take my bed."

"No, no," Louis insisted, "I'm fine with the floor. Besides, it's better than spending tonight on the streets, right?"

"If you're sure you don't mind..." Harry shrugged, chucking the blanket and pillow at Louis so they hit him in the face, and Harry stifled a laugh.

Harry switched on his bedside lamp and turned off the main light, so the room was slightly dimmer. 

"I sleep in my underwear." Louis claimed, suddenly, causing Harry to feel his cheeks heat up. He pretended he didn't care, because he too slept like this. 

"That's okay, so do I." He shrugged, before jumping into his bed and pulling the covers over himself. 

"I'll turn the lamp off so it's not... awkward." Harry laughed, nervously, waiting for Louis to sit on the blanket on the floor before he switched off the lamp and left it pitch black. He pulled off his own t-shirt and jeans, kicking them to the end of his bed, and then pulled the covers up his body and shivered at the fact that they were cold against his bare skin. 

He could hear Louis undressing in the dark and he could feel himself becoming hot over the thought, but he quickly pulled his pillow over his head to block out the sound. 

"Goodnight, Curly." Louis breathed into the darkness, not too far away from Harry's bed. 

"Night."

\- - -

Harry woke up with a jolt in the middle of the night. He had experienced one of those moments in a dream where you start falling, and it took him a minute to remember and process that Louis was lying asleep on his bedroom carpet. He found himself switching on the lamp, just to stupidly make sure Louis was still there. Big, big, big mistake. 

Louis was sprawled out on his stomach, on the carpet, in just his underwear. The blanket he once had draped over him had been kicked off in the night, and his tanned skin glowed off of the lamp's light. His skin looked soft all over, and his body was fit and tight with muscle. His back was lean and muscular itself, and his bum looked more than gorgeous in his black boxer shorts. 

Harry couldn't look away. No matter how much he tried to tell himself he wasn't interested, his eyes continued to scan over the tanned plains of Louis' body. What happened next, however, almost caused harry to have a heart attack. 

"It's rude to stare."

Harry jumped and felt his stomach drop upon hearing Louis' voice, so suddenly. Louis' eyes were open now, and Harry's entire face flushed red. 

"I-I-I was j-just, y'know, n-not meaning to stare, but, umm..."

"You really did mean to stare, otherwise you would have turned the lamp back off and gone back to sleep." Louis whispered, with a smirk, and Harry just wanted to shoot himself there and then. 

"L-Let's just forget this and go back to sleep, yeah?" Harry begged, pulling his duvet cover tighter around himself, and he heard a soft chuckle from Louis. 

"You've probably never even seen another boy's body, have you? Poor little Hazza." Louis breathed, seductively, causing Harry's eyes to widen and his pulse to further thicken. 

"What's that got to do with this?"

"And you've never even sucked another guy's dick, have you, Curly?"

Harry was lost for words, staring wide-eyed at Louis.

"N-No, but-"

"Really?" Louis questioned, with a laugh, "Bet you'd love to, wouldn't you?"

Harry didn't know where this suggestive mindset had developed in Louis, but he sort of wanted it to end, before his head exploded. 

"Yeah, really," He shrugged, picking at his fingernail, awkwardly, "I don't see why that matters, though."

His eyes raised to find Louis staring him in the eye from a metre or so away. This all felt like some sort of crazy dream, and Harry wasn't sure whether he ever wanted to wake up.

"You can suck mine, if you really want to."

Oh no. This couldn't be happening. No, no, no, no, no! This was a dream... a nightmare! Harry would wake up any minute and it'd be morning! 

It became obvious it wasn't a dream after Harry pinched himself and felt the sting. 

"It would only be for experience, by the way. Experience for you, and I could help you along? Just so you know what to do for future reference." Louis offered, with an emotionless expression. Harry was still staring back at him, surprising himself by nodding in agreement. 

"O-Okay, come over here." Harry instructed, softly. 

Louis stood up and did as told, sitting on the edge of Harry's bed, and the curly-haired boy was wondering why he was agreeing to doing this. They stared at each other for a moment, as Harry non-verbally asked 'What now?'

Louis lay back on the bed, while Harry sat by his side. Harry was already gulping and panicking on the inside. 

"Just... start slowly, with your hand here." Louis whispered, gently grabbing Harry's hand and placing it on his hip. Butterflies were already erupting through Harry's stomach, just from having his hand on the hot skin of Louis' bare hip, so he didn't know how he'd control hismelf for what was to come. 

"You're trembling," Louis whispered, softly, noting how Harry was visibly shaking, "Don't be scared."

Harry drew in a deep, shaky breath. Louis grabbed Harry's hand and guided it down his body, resting it on his crotch, so Harry was getting even more panicky. His hand was on Louis Tomlinson's clothed dick, for goodness sake!

"Umm, move your hand around a little." Louis instructed, removing his own hand from on top of Harry's, leaning back on his elbows and leaving the curly-haired boy with no physical guidance. Harry palmed once over Louis' bulge, basking in the reaction from Louis, whose head fell back onto the pillow as he drew in a sharp breath. "Y-Yeah, just like that."

Harry quickly pushed his duvet cover onto the floor, exposing his own half-naked body, which Louis smirked at. Harry sat on his knees as he repeated the movement again of rolling the heel of his hand over Louis' crotch. Louis' toned, tanned stomach was rising and falling quickly, eyes fluttering shut. Harry was biting harshly on his bottom lip, eyes diverting between his hand working on Louis and the expression of pure bliss on Louis' beautiful face. 

**He's a MANWHORE!**

This line of one of Alex's texts was running through Harry's head, but he pushed it aside. 

He could feel Louis hardening beneath his touch, and this caused the blood to rush to his own lower region. It didn't take long until Louis was completely hard, after some more palming over.

"T-Take off my underwear." Louis breathed, unevenly, eyes still tightly shut. Harry was nervous but determined, hooking his fingers under the waistband of Louis' boxers, tugging them off and throwing them to the floor. 

Louis' beautiful, fully hard, long dick lay full against his stomach, leaking a bead of pre-cum. Harry stared for what seemed like too long, as he let out a slow, breathy moan.

"Are you gonna get on with it or just stare?" Louis questioned, smugly, snapping Harry from his daze. Harry blushed and muttered an apology. 

"W-What do I do now?" He spoke very shakily, too scared to touch Louis' cock, leaving it against his tanned, toned stomach. 

"Spit on it. It lubricates it." Louis commanded. Harry felt as though he was too nervous to even gather saliva in his mouth, but he spat some onto Louis' shaft, surprised he even managed that. 

"Now put your hand around it. Don't be shy."

Harry very hesitantly wrapped his hand around Louis' hot, throbbing dick, running his hand over it once to spread the spit around it. 

"Fuck," Louis breathed, lowly, causing Harry's face to redden at how hot it sounded. Louis' eyes were shut again, as Harry's hand moved up and down, pumping Louis' cock. 

"N-Now just try licking the tip." Louis instructed, in a half-whisper. Harry nodded, breath catching in his throat. He wet his plump, soft lips before leaning down and running his tongue smoothly over the slit, tasting the saltiness of the pre-cum. 

Louis let out a long, moderately high whimper, spurring Harry on to lick over the head once again, this time with the flat of his tongue, and he lapped at it as he felt himself smile. 

"Yeah, baby, take it into your mouth." Louis breathed, hotly, and Harry's breath hitched again at the name. 

"How the fuck do I fit it all in my mouth?" Harry blushed, but Louis simply smirked. 

"You might have to gag on it, but that'll be hot as fuck."

Harry did as Louis said by taking the head into his mouth, but was instantly stopped. 

"Woah, woah, woah, no teeth, okay?" Louis laughed, breathlessly, holding Harry's face away. Harry bit his lip in embarrassment, quickly apologising, before lowering his head and taking it into his mouth again, this time without the accidental teeth. Louis let out a sudden loud moan, causing Harry to pull off again. 

"My mum and sister are sleeping, be quiet!" He exclaimed, panicking. Gemma had to be home by now, in her room next door, and Anne was undoubtedly home. 

"Sorry, sorry." Louis giggled, waiting for Harry to take the shaft into his mouth again. He gasped, sharply, when Harry instinctively hollowed his cheeks, creating a heavenly suction around his dick. 

"Ohhh shit," Louis whimpered, "I want you to fucking take more of it."

He grabbed Harry's curls, slowly pushing Harry's head down further until his cock brushed the back of Harry's throat and he harshly gagged on it. 

"Fuck yeah," Louis purred, allowing Harry a short time to catch his breath before repeating the action. Harry used a free hand to palm his own cock, which was hard and restrained in his underwear. He moaned around Louis' shaft. 

"You look so fucking hot right now, Harry," Louis breathed, dirtily, "Look at me."

Harry's large, emerald, innocent and slightly teary eyes flicked up to meet Louis', and the older boy almost came from the sight. 

"Move your head faster, c'mon." Louis demanded, impatiently, grabbing Harry's curls and thrusting lightly into his mouth, causing Harry to gag and splutter with every movement. Harry used his free hand to wank the part of Louis' dick that his mouth couldn't always reach. Louis let out another whimper, and it seemed every sound he let out was getting more and more high pitched as he got closer. 

"I-I'm already fucking close, holy shit." Louis warned, and it didn't take an expert to know what that meant. Harry worked his hand and mouth harder, moving faster and coaxing even more sexy noises from Louis. Louis' chest was rapidly rising and falling now, fingers of one hand lacing through Harry's hair tighter while the other hand's fingers gripped the bedsheets until his knuckles were turning white. 

He was letting breathy "yeah"s every time Harry brought his head up, face scrunching up as he saw white and felt the pleasure taking over his lower half. 

"I-I'm gonna cum..." He breathed, moans quickly building up as Harry continued to hollow his cheeks and dip his head up and down. Louis was pushed over the edge. 

As he came, Harry's bedroom door flew open. Harry choked due to both Louis' cum shooting down his throat and the fact that Gemma now stood at his bedroom door, wide-eyed with her mouth hanging open as she witnessed Louis loudly moaning out a chorus of her younger brother's name, along with a long list of breathy swearwords.

"You're Louis..." She spoke in realisation, despite the very uncomfortable situation. 

"GEMMA, GET THE FUCK OUT!" Harry practically screamed, grabbing a blanket and throwing it over Louis, even though it was no use now hiding what Gemma had just seen. 

"Alright, alright, keep your hair on!" Gemma exclaimed, rolling her eyes and quickly exiting the room. Louis was still breathing very shakily, eyes wide as he now stared at Harry. 

"Shit." They both whispered, in unison.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sososososo guys! Gemma walked in, shit! 
> 
> Thoughts? ;)


	31. Chapter Thirty-One

To save any more awkward run-ins with Gemma, Louis left early the next morning, just after 6AM. It was pretty awkward waking up that morning, seeing as Louis was still naked, under his blanket, however Harry didn't actually regret what had happened. The only thing he wasn't looking forward to was having to be in the same room as Gemma because she knew very well what went down. 

Harry dressed in tracksuit bottoms and a baggy t-shirt, apposed to his black, tight clothes, leaving his hair messy and untamed before going downstairs at around 10AM. Gemma was sat at the breakfast table, eating a bowl of cereal without being aware of Harry's presence, while Anne was washing something up in the sink.

It didn't occur to Harry until now, the thought: what if Gemma told Anne what she had walked in on? Oh God, that would be sure to get him grounded for months. 

"Morning, sweetheart." Anne greeted, brightly, stacking a plate on the draining board and flicking her hands so some bubbles flew into the sink bowl. Gemma's eyes quickly raised, meeting eyes with Harry, who was still stood uneasily in the doorway. 

It was obvious Anne didn't know, seeing as she wasn't scolding Harry. 

"Hi." Harry breathed, sleepily rubbing his eye. Gemma's eyes were searching behind Harry, as though she was expecting to find Louis stood there, awkwardly. Her eyebrows furrowed when she didn't. 

"Harry... can we talk in the other room for a second?" Gemma muttered, dropping her spoon against the porcelain bowl so it emitted a sharp ring, before she stood up. Harry sighed, deeply, before nodding and trudging off behind her, into the living room.

Gemma sat on the armchair, running a hand through her hair, while Harry fell back onto the leather sofa opposite. Harry was fiddling with his fingers, as he felt his sister's eyes burning into him. 

"That was Louis last night, wasn't it?" She asked, slowly, with no hint of any emotion. Harry nodded, without looking up. He heard Gemma take a deep breath. "You're confusing, Harry. You absolutely couldn't stand that guy but now you're giving him a fucking blowjob?! Let alone behind Alex's back!"

Harry rolled his eyes, "Gem, Alex and I were over last week. He turned out to be a twat."

"Wait, so... you're dating Louis?"

Harry breathed a laugh, shaking his head, lightly. 

"No, Louis and I are just friends. Nothing more."

"Oh my fucking God," Gemma grumbled under her breath, "You're being so childish here, Harry, you know that?"

"How am I?" Harry defended. 

"You can't just mess around with a guy who you hated in the past, and now you can somehow tolerate. I bet you've probably already had sex with him, haven't you?" Gemma predicted.

"No! I'm a virgin, Gemma! The furthest I've ever gone with anybody is what happened last night, and that was just me giving, not receiving."

It was immensely awkward to talk about this with his sister, but it clearly needed to be sorted out.

"So he didn't... do anything in return... for you?" She quizzed, furrowing her eyebrows, "He strikes me as someone who's probably using you, Harry."

"Ugh, Gemma, you don't get it! It was for my experience, too! My God, this is so fucking awkward."

"Can you just promise me something?" 

"Fine." He sighed. 

"Don't have sex with him. I don't want him using or manipulating my little brother, and that's where things seem to be heading, in my eyes. Don't let him have his way with you, alright?"

Harry quirked his mouth to the side and slowly agreed, hooking pinkies with Gemma and shaking firmly to confirm their promise. 

"I promise."

\- - -

 **Niall:** hey so basically hannah wants me, you, her, perrie, louis, liam and zayn to go to hers tonight cos apparently she wants us all to hang out, and she wants perrie  & zayn 2 bond :/ what do u think ?

Harry wasn't sure he could nonchalantly face Louis now, after he had not long ago had the guy's dick in his mouth. He agreed to it anyway, seeing as it was a Saturday and if he decided to stay at home then his whole day would consist of sheer nothingness. 

**Harry:** Sure. What time? And I think I'll probably need a lift there, too.

 **Niall:** around 9pm she said. i could get perrie 2 drop u off 2? she is dropping me off there :)

 **Harry:** Sounds reasonable. See you later, Ni :)

 **Niall:** later , buddy !

\- - -

"Where are you going?" Gemma questioned, as Harry slipped his shoes on by the front door at five minutes to nine. He was dressed in black again, with fresh eyeliner and neater hair.

"Out."

"Where?"

"Hannah's."

"Will Louis be there?"

"Yes."

"Remember the promise?"

"Yes, Gem, I remember the promise, now can you get off my back?" Harry chuckled, pulling out his phone to see a text from Niall, telling Harry they were parked outside. 

"I'll see you later."

\- - -

The drive to Hannah's house was quiet. Normally, Niall would brighten up the mood and chatter away, but it got so quiet that Perrie had to switch on the radio, to shatter the silence. 

"So... what's Hannah planning on us doing tonight?" Harry broke the chain of no talking, glancing between Niall and Perrie, as the latter kept her eyes on the road.

"She probably just wants to use tonight to hook me and Zayn up, and flirt with Louis in front of all of us." Perrie rolled her eyes. Harry felt jealousy run through him at the thought of someone else flirting with Louis. It just didn't seem right.

"And she said she wants us all to play truth or dare, but apparently without the 'dare' part. So... just 'truth'." Niall gave an input. 

Weird...

\- - -

"Do you know what to ask him during the game?" Louis reiterated to Hannah, who was piling some cushions up all over the carpet to create a comfortable, makeshift seating area. She sighed. 

"Yes, I know what I'm going to ask Harry during the game. I don't even see why this matters, though-"

"It just does, okay? I can't have that faggot secretly liking me. I need the truth." Louis growled, hearing Liam and Zayn snicker from behind him. 

Okay, Louis was lying, big time. He hadn't thought about it until last night but he knew there was some sort of connection between he and Harry. Sure, he had felt it before, but had never taken it into account as he was now. 

He needed to know how Harry felt.

\- - -

"Hey, guys! Come in!" Hannah chirped, once she had opened up the front door, upon their arrival. Harry, Niall and Perrie strolled in, kicking off their shoes. Louis twisted around on the sofa, instantly locking eyes with a very flustered Harry. Harry spotted a small, warm smile from Louis towards him, before he turned away to face Liam and Zayn again. 

"I think we should get straight into this game." Liam smirked, rubbing his hands together. He was somewhat part of Louis' 'plan', even though he didn't know the anticipated outcome of it. 

Louis, Liam and Zayn sat down on the cushions, pillows and blankets on the floor, and were soon joined by the other four. Harry didn't sit right next to Louis, because Perrie and Hannah sat between them. Harry didn't exactly care, though, because he still felt slightly awkward about everything.

Hannah had grabbed an empty beer bottle and had placed it in the centre of the floor, before spinning it, quickly. It slowly came to a stop, pointing at a very surprised and nervous Niall. Harry stifled a laugh at Niall's frightened look. 

"So, this is just a truth game because none of us can be bothered to get up and do dares, I don't think." Hannah giggled. "Okay, Perrie, give Niall a truth to answer."

Perrie's face contorted into a thinking one, staring up at the ceiling in thought. 

"Have you ever kissed a girl?" 

Niall blushed before he nodded, "A girl called Tina, back in Ireland." He admitted, and everyone wooed and chuckled. The bottle was spun again, landing leisurely on Zayn this time.

"Zayn, do you think Perrie's hot?" Hannah blurted out, earning a harsh slap on the arm from the girl in question. 

"She's... alright, I guess." Zayn shrugged, emotionless, and Harry could tell Perrie looked a tad upset over Zayn's unenthusiasm. Louis quickly leant forward and span the bottle again, breathing a laugh and a curse when it landed on himself. 

"Trust me to do that." He chuckled. Hannah was right in with a question.

"If you and I were alone right now, what would we do?" She smirked, and Perrie wooed. Louis clearly looked uncomfortable, whereas Harry was stabbed with jealousy again.

"Order a pizza and be on my way." Louis whispered, and the entire circle, aside from Hannah, gawked and stifled laughs at the blunt, friend-zone response. Hannah quirked her mouth to the side, angrily, before more ferociously spinning the bottle. It landed on Harry this time. 

Hannah made secret eye contact with Louis, who gave a small, knowing smile.

"Who in this room would you get off with, out of... just the boys?"

There was another eerie silence, as Harry's whole face reddened. His eyes scanned the options: Niall, Louis, Liam or Zayn, and his mind began subconsciously screaming 'LOUIS!' at him. Dammit. 

"Niall." He chuckled, with a smirk. He was clearly joking, but in a way he did it to annoy anyone who expected a different answer. Niall high-fived Harry with a giggle, before Harry glanced over at Louis. He was staring back, and his mouth immediately curled into a knowing grin. This boy was going to be the fucking death of Harry. 

"Okay, we should ask Harry again," Hannah smiled. 

"Wait, that's unfair!" Harry whined.

"My house, my rules," Hannah grunted, "Okay, umm... have you ever had feelings for anyone in the room? Y'know, romantic feelings."

Yep, Harry knew there was definitely something conspicuous going on here. It was the second question involving people in the room, and Louis Tomlinson was one of the them.

"No." Harry stated, bluntly. He knew it was a lie, because you couldn't think about someone every night and day without having feelings for them.

"God dammit, stop being so in denial! We all know you want Louis, gay boy!" Zayn burst out, causing gasps to erupt around the room. Harry felt humiliated. He felt cheated. He felt like everyone had been on another side to him this whole time. 

"When will you all realise Louis wants me back?! I sucked his dick last night and he kept calling me hot, how can you think he's not gay?!" Harry yelled. No one could believe their ears. Louis completely lost his temper, throwing himself at Harry. 

"YOU FUCKING BASTARD, I'LL KILL YOU!" He screamed, punching a defenceless Harry around the face, hard. The punching continued, until Liam and Niall pulled him away, struggling to keep him back as they whispered for him to stop.

"STOP RUINING MY LIFE!" Louis roared, voice cracking towards the end, "YOU'RE CHANGING ME!" He seemed close to crying. Wow, serious mood swings. 

And this was the last thing he said, before he was dragged to another room to calm down, by the other three boys: Liam, Niall and Zayn. 

"Holy shit." Perrie whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really not sure I'm happy with this. I sort of wrote it in a hurry, but here it was, anyway. Mehhh, Louis is bipolar. <3


	32. Chapter Thirty-Two

"Louis, mate, just calm down!" Liam soothed, trying to cautiously approach the livid boy. Louis was shakily breathing as he leant against the kitchen counter, head lowered and chest heaving. 

"Why would he lie like that?" Zayn snarled, "About sucking you off... Man, he must really want it!"

"He wouldn't lie-" Niall tried to speak, but was cut off.

"What a lying faggot!" Liam snickered, completely ignoring Niall's attempted input. 

Louis' heart began pounding even more. They thought Harry wasn't being truthful about what he blurted out. Louis wanted to go along with it and have a rant about how weird Harry was for making it up, but he knew they'd then have a go at Harry for it, and he'd convince them of the real truth. 

"Guys..." Louis breathed, in a ragged tone. Niall, Liam and Zayn quickly looked up, upon hearing Louis' input. "He wasn't lying. I did... let him give me a blowjob."

Zayn and Liam took a vigilant step back from Louis, eyes narrowing and eyebrows furrowing. 

"What the fuck, man?! You let that queer near your dick?!" Zayn yelled, clearly angry that one of his best friends had experienced something like that. 

"You do know that makes you sort of gay... right?" Liam muttered, slowly, then he and Zayn exchanged worried looks. Niall was staring into space, at the wall, leaning against the kitchen table. 

"I'm not a fucking faggot! There's such thing as sexual pleasure, you know? It's not like I have feelings for the guy!" Louis growled.

"Jesus Christ, next you'll probably be fucking him!" Zayn roared, before edging towards the door. Liam followed.

"Guys, stop!" Louis demanded. "GET THE FUCK BACK HERE!"

They quickly left the kitchen, storming back through the living room and towards the front door, as Louis was hot on their heels.

"YOU TWO CAN'T FUCKING LIVE WITHOUT ME, YOU'LL BE BACK!" Louis exclaimed, angrily, after them. Then, the front door slammed, as Louis' ex-followers left. 

This left Harry, Perrie and Hannah staring at Louis, while Niall was still stood reflectively in the kitchen. Louis' gaze raised, eyes diverting from Perrie to Hannah, before landing and stopping on Harry. The curly-haired boy stared back, breathing heavily in worry over what Louis was going to do next.

"Now I have no friends." Louis hissed, eyes remaining on Harry, burning into him. 

Hannah smiled, dopily, "I'm your friend, Louis!" 

Louis' eyes fell on her, and he lightly shook his head. "No you're fucking not, for God's sake." He breathed in annoyance. 

"A-Aren't I your friend?" Harry's voice asked, timidly. Louis' gaze once again fixed onto Harry, who he watched, carefully. 

"Yeah, because real friends cause each other to lose their childhood ones." Louis sneered, sarcastically. "I won't let you forget that, you know? They were my only real friends."

"Well, they can't be very good friends if they ditch you over sexuality." Harry reasoned, and Louis tensed. 

"Can you stop? You sound like my fucking mum." Louis snapped, jaw clenched and fists bawled. Harry's eyes flicked down to meet his feet, which suddenly became very interesting in such an awkward situation. 

Without any further words, Louis turned and left the house, slamming the door, forcefully, causing an effect that felt like the house shook. 

"Good luck, Harry." Niall had descended from the kitchen and was now mumbling this into his mate's ear, patting his back. 

\- - -

Harry watched on Monday morning as Louis passed through the school corridor, alone. Whispers were erupting throughout the surrounding students, as they snickered and glared at Louis, and Harry even felt a few pairs of eyes on himself.  

He was absolutely terrified to sit next to Louis in class today. It was strange seeing Louis without Zayn and Liam, because it sort of made him appear more defenceless and sensitive. It was like all along, aside from Louis' tremendous strength, Zayn and Liam were acting almost like body guards. 

Mr Gordon ushered everyone in, and Harry sped past Louis so that he could slip into his seat without asking Louis to move. He pushed hismelf right into the corner, as far as he could from where Louis would be sat, but it was no use anyway because Louis was still dangerously close to him. 

Harry was sort of expecting Louis to make little threats here and there throughout the duration of the lesson, but he actually stayed silent, and spent most of his time actually listening to the teacher. This made Harry wonder whether Louis was usually so concentrated on playing an intimidating, strong part as a person that he never actually gave a shit about his education. 

By lunchtime, that same day, Louis still hadn't said anything to Harry. In the canteen, Harry sat with Perrie, Hannah and Niall, whereas Louis sat all alone, on a neighbouring table. He spent his whole lunchtime staring at the tabletop, not eating, not drinking and not moving. 

"He sure seems... depressed... without Zayn and Liam." Perrie said, slowly, as she watched the distraught boy nearby. 

"To be honest, he's probably just waiting for them to come crawling back to him," Harry figured, "But it seems like that's not happening just yet."

All four of them watched him for a moment, before he caught on and spotted them all.

"What the fuck are you staring at?" He snarled, causing them all to immediately look away. 

"I just think he needs someone to have a serious talk with him, you know? Just to reassure him about everything." Hannah sighed, watching Louis, sadly. It was clear she still had feelings for Louis, even if it was blatantly obvious that the feelings weren't mutual. Niall and Perrie diverted their eyes onto Harry. 

"What?" Harry snapped. 

"You should talk to him, Harry. Wait until the end of the day, though," Perrie assured, "It just seems like he needs someone right now. Besides, you're sort of a part of this..."

"Listen, fine! I'll fucking talk to him, but I'm blaming you all if he murders me."

\- - -

As students poured out into the car park, all excited and ready to make their way home, Harry rushed after Louis, dodging through other pupils and apologising. 

"Louis!" He yelled, but was blatantly blanked out. Louis clearly heard him because he had spun round briefly, spotted Harry, and then sped up his walking. "Seriously, Louis, can we just talk?" He called. 

Louis reached the school gates, stopping in his footsteps and sighing, heavily. He turned to face the curly-haired boy with hateful eyes.

"I don't see what there is to say," Louis shouted, "You know I don't give a shit about you, so quit trying to be my friend!"

"Oh, c'mon, Louis, you know you need a friend right now, don't you? I promise, having someone at a time like this is crucial!" Harry said, hopefully.

"You've ruined my fucking life, almost completely, by telling everyone. I don't know if you've realised, but half the fucking school know now because of Zayn and Liam! Are you just looking for a way to ruin my life even more?!-"

"He isn't... but I am." A new, deeper voice purred. Louis' eyes widened at the tone, which was coming from behind him, and he slowly span around to face the source of it. He looked petrified, certainly for someone like himself, and he visibly gulped.

"Ben?" He choked out.


	33. Chapter Thirty-Three

Harry swiveled round, as Louis had, in the direction of the voice. The man stood before them, "Ben", was around 6'2 in height, and he wore baggy, scruffy jeans and a dirtied, once white t-shirt, with a black leather jacket to top it off. He had small, hooded eyes, which were brown in colour, and both his stubble and messy hair was black.

"You've grown up since I last saw you, haven't you, hmm?" Ben hummed, darkly. Louis didn't reply. Instead, he just stood there, staring in disbelief as he breathed shakily. Harry began lightly tugging on Louis' sleeve, whispering his name over and over again in order to get his attention. Louis turned his face, so he and Harry's eyes met, and he simply frowned at the curly-haired boy. 

"Who's this, then, Louis?" Ben's voice lowly spoke out, so their attention was back on him. Harry's heart began wildly beating in his chest once he found Ben's eyes on him, along with a smirk. 

"I could ask the same about you." Harry snapped, causing Louis to harshly stomp on his foot, causing him to wince and apologise, quickly. 

"Let's just say... Louis owes me quite a sum of money." Ben chuckled, evilly, and Harry's brain sparked into motion. On the night Louis stayed over, he did mention Ben, and how he sold drugs for Ben three years ago. Of course! 

"Are you going to say anything, Louis, or are you just going to stand there and say nothing like the fucking wimp you've always been?" Ben snapped, voice changing in an instant so it was low and demanding. Harry felt himself taking a small step back, so he was slightly hidden behind Louis. 

"Touch my family and you're dead." Was all Louis growled out, keeping the intense, hateful eye contact with Ben. Ben's lips curled up into a sinister smirk. 

"Dead? Louis, you wouldn't leave a fucking mark on me, you know that," Ben roared, then his eyes fell onto Harry again. "I must say, your little friend is gorgeous, aren't you, sweetie? Wow." He directed to Harry. Harry didn't know what to say or do, but he felt his cheeks fast becoming red, and his blood raced around his body quicker. Louis tensed by his side.

"Leave him alone," Louis warned through gritted teeth, "He's not a part of this."

"Well, he will be if you don't return that fucking money!" Ben snapped, loudly, "I know people, along with myself, who can ruin your fucking lives! They know how to find out things..." Ben smirked again, slowly. "Email addresses, phone numbers, where you live... we already found out your mum's phone number. Looks like you're in a lot of trouble with her now, aren't you?"

Harry's breath hitched, but he felt slightly relieved when Louis reached back and ran his thumb over his arm, tenderly, telling him it would be okay.

"Leave," Louis threatened, "Before I call the police."

"Don't you remember?" Ben proclaimed, "My dad's head of police round here. Who's he more likely to defend, hmm?"

"You sly bastard." Louis breathed, angrily. He glanced back at Harry before grabbing his hand and pulling him away, fast, around the corner of a brick wall. Harry was confused as hell, but went along with it.

"W-Wait, Louis, I need to go home." Harry protested, but was harshly shushed, and they had stopped walking now. Louis pressed his car keys firmly into Harry's hand. 

"Just go and sit in my car, lock it, okay? I can't let you go home yet. He'll follow you. I'll be there in a moment."

"But, Louis, I-" Harry was cut off from his complaint when Louis' lips were pressed to his, firmly. Harry's eyes were wide open during the kiss, taken by surprise, but he quickly let them flutter shut as he melted into it. Louis pulled back after a moment, breathing heavily.

"Just go." He whispered, desperately. Harry nodded, still feeling hot all over, but he jogged away, in the direction of the car that he recognised from when Louis gave him a lift from Alex's flat. He pressed the button on the keys so it unlocked, then he speedily climbed into the passenger seat and locked the car behind him.  

What the hell was going on? This all seemed like a never-ending circle. One minute Louis was mad, then he was kissing him. Harry's heart wouldn't stop beating at the rate it was, both from the kiss and the words Ben spoke. Who did this guy think he was? And why was Harry getting dragged into this? Was Louis trying to... protect him from Ben? 

It didn't take long until Louis was running back, so Harry unlocked the car so the older boy could quickly jump inside. He was breathing heavily, still, most likely from the running. 

"So... what the fuck is going on?" Harry mumbled, slowly. Louis' head slammed back onto the headrest on the chair of the driver's seat, eyes shut. "Louis...?"

"I have a week," Louis informed, worriedly, "He wanted the money right here, right now, and I didn't have it. He's giving me a week. If I fail to return it, they'll be after us." There were tears seeping from Louis' eyes, trailing slowly down his cheeks. Harry didn't know what he could say to comfort Louis. All he could do was panic. Who would be after them? 

"Who'll be after us?" Harry whispered, softly, trying to remain calm. Louis sniffled, sharply, turning his head on the seat and opening his eyes so he was looking at Harry.

"Ben's gang."

\- - -

There was just something in Louis' eyes that told Harry he was lying. Not about Ben's gang coming after them, but about what he and Ben spoke about when Harry was gone. Surely if Louis escorted Harry back to the car, he and Ben wanted to talk without Harry hearing. Why couldn't Harry have been stood there?

\- - -

*Louis' POV*

I made a deal. Ben was happy with it. Partly, I felt awful for it, for betraying Harry, but it was all I had left to do now. I was desperate. I wasn't sure how suspicious Harry was about it but seemed like he was content over my lie.

Ben liked Harry, as soon as he saw him, because who doesn't? Harry is beautiful. And yes, I was as jealous as hell, but I had to give Ben what he wanted if he was going to let me off the hook.

Harry shouldn't have been there when Ben was but it wasn't predictable that he'd find me while Harry was with me. Harry was a part of this now, sadly, and I was just hoping he wouldn't be affected too badly by my deal...

Otherwise he may hate me, forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry if you're confused. Feel free to ask questions below. 
> 
> Question for you all: where are you from?


	34. Chapter Thirty-Four

"Where are we even going?" Harry chuckled. Louis had been aimlessly driving them round the streets for over twenty minutes now, while Harry sat in the passenger seat, bored and confused. 

"I don't know," Louis admitted, "But I'm just making sure Ben's not following us, so I can get you home safely."

"Really? Or is this just an excuse for you to kidnap me and pretend you're protecting me?" Harry smirked, and Louis reached over and playfully slapped his arm. Even playfully, it left a harsh sting on Harry's skin. 

"Shut up! Ben will be the one kidnapping you if he follows you home." Louis' voice was full of truthfulness, which scared Harry. 

"Oh my God, don't say that!" Harry complained, staring out of the car window. There were no other cars around, yet Louis still continued to drive along the roads. The time on Louis' dashboard radio told Harry that it was **4:12PM**.

"My mum will be wondering where I am." Harry spoke into the heavy silence, and he saw Louis glance at him in the corner of his eye, before concentrating on the road again. 

"She'll wonder even more where you are if Ben kidnaps you." Louis whispered, smugly. Harry was the one slapping Louis this time, on his forearm, however Louis didn't react to any sort of pain. He could just handle it, and that was probably how he'd grown up.

"Anyway... what were you and Ben discussing once I was in the car? Must've been pretty important if I couldn't hear it." Harry asked. He knew what he was doing. He saw Louis' hands grip the steering wheel tighter, and he rolled his lips into his mouth. 

"I just, umm, didn't want you to hear his threats anymore, in case they worried you. That's all." His tone was convincing enough. Perhaps Harry was just over-examining the situation by thinking it was about him. 

"Okay," Harry still wanted to push it further, though, "What did he say?"

"Well obviously I don't want you to know if I made you leave in the first place!" Louis snapped, loudly, causing Harry to jump and grip the seat beneath him. There was a little silence again, before Louis whispered a "Sorry" for shouting. Once again, his mood had changed in an instant.

Harry didn't say anything. He simply stared forwards, out of the windscreen, and he could feel Louis' looking at him again. 

"Listen, Harry," Louis began, and Harry was hoping he'd confess to whatever he was talking about, but it was concerning a different matter. "You know... when I kissed you? Before you got in the car?"

Harry felt his stomach drop. He knew, he just **knew** , that Louis was going to say he didn't mean it.

"Yeah." Harry sighed, keeping his gaze diverted forwards. 

"What did you feel?"

Louis' response surprised Harry, a whole lot. He relived the kiss in his head, how sudden it was, and felt how that shiver cascaded down his spine and his heart was beating at a million miles an hour. He wanted to express this to Louis in words, but he felt embarrassed. He wanted to put it gently. 

"It was... nice." He said, subtly. Louis nodded, firmly, before replying. 

"I really felt something in that kiss," He confessed, "And I just think I need to... stop denying things like that, y'know?" 

Harry couldn't believe his ears. Finally, Louis understood how stubborn and deluded he usually was when facing his sexuality, and he was letting himself be who he really was. 

"So..." Harry trailed off, "You... like me?"

Louis took a very audible deep breath, then he pulled over at the side of the road, taking the keys out of the ignition and getting out. Harry furrowed his eyebrows, scrambling to undo his seatbelt before he too climbed out the car and slammed the door shut behind him. They were parked next to a large, open field, with a few benches around, and Louis was heading for one as he took another deep breath.

He took a seat on the cold wood, so Harry warily took one by his side, apprehensive as to why Louis hadn't spoken a single word in response to Harry's controversial question. Louis was staring ahead, into the distance, as the light, afternoon wind caused his feathery hair to ruffle in the breeze. 

"Are you going to say anything?" Harry questioned, and his voice seemed to pierce the silence like a needle. Louis' eyes shut. 

"No." He breathed, which went against Harry's question completely. "I just don't know what to think anymore. I feel sort of trapped."

"Why?" Harry asked, softly. "Do you feel as though you want to say you like me, but at the same time you just want to be straight?"

"Exactly," Louis detected, "That's exactly how I fucking feel!" Louis' face next rose into a soft smile. He seemed to be taking Harry's question well, considering he'd usually brush it off and tell Harry to stop. Finally, Louis was admitting to liking Harry...

Wait... SHIT! It hit Harry like a high speed train: Louis Tomlinson **liked** him! What about what Gemma said?! She practically hated Louis and claimed he was untrustworthy, yet something inside of Harry wanted to go against her judgement and go with his heart... which wanted Louis. Deeply. 

\- - -

 **Unknown Number:** hello Harry ;)

Harry froze, tensing as he sat on his bed, when the text popped up. Who was it? Ben...?

 **Harry:** ... Who is this and why do you have my number? 

He was terrified to get a reply. Deep down, he knew it was Ben, because of what he was saying earlier about having the ability to get people's phone numbers. He wondered whether it was due to his dad being a part of the police force, but Harry honestly knew nothing much about law, even though it was an interest of his. 

**Unknown Number:** I think you already know, don't you? ;)

Oh God... it was Ben, for sure. 

**Harry:** What the hell do you want from me? Why are you dragging me into all of this? Delete my number right now!!!

 **Unknown Number:** wow, you're feisty. I like a challenge ;)

Harry blocked the number, instantly, before locking his phone and slamming it down onto his bed covers. He reflected on what was happening here and was ultimately horrified. Louis was putting Harry in danger over something that wasn't his matter. He was worrying Harry, and patronising him, and now Harry wouldn't be comfortable ever again.

Yeah, Louis was going to try and protect Harry, but this Ben guy had already found out Harry's phone number, so he dreaded to think how long it'd take to track down his Harry's actual address. Harry wanted to tell Gemma, but he was just too scared. And anyway, she already warned Harry not to mess around with Louis Tomlinson, because he was **untrustworthy.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you think Louis is untrustworthy? What do you reckon is happening between Louis and Ben? :o


	35. Chapter Thirty-Five

Harry was slightly afraid to walk to school the next morning, so he texted Louis and asked if he could give him a lift. Louis happily complied, and was waiting outside Harry's house five minutes early. Harry jogged out of his house, after yelling a goodbye to his mum, and jumped into the car. 

"I don't blame you for asking for a lift," Louis chuckled, half-heartedly, as the car pulled into the road, "But I promise Ben will never lay a finger on you."

Harry could sense an almost uncertainty in Louis' tone which was enough to remind Harry about Louis and Ben discussing something secret. The previous night for Harry, as he lay in bed, had consisted entirely of him wondering what Louis was planning. Did he warn Ben to stay away from Harry? Or, was he edging onto Ben's side, to make a compromise? 

"What's on your mind?" Louis sighed, noting how Harry had zoned out, and was blankly staring ahead. 

"Nothing," He lied, "I guess I'm just... worried."

"Don't be, seriously." Louis assured, calmly. There was another silence next, as Harry fiddled with his fingers. 

Harry had a little plan in mind to coax whatever was going on out of Louis, but he didn't know whether it would be an effective one. It partly required a little bit of a white lie.

"So, umm," Harry cleared his throat, "Ben texted me last night." It was starting off true, but would soon spiral into a lie, just to see how Louis would react.

"Saying what?" Louis growled, clearly quite defensive over Harry. 

"He told me that you two made a compromise." Harry breathed, picking at his nails, casually. He heard Louis' breath hitch, audibly.

"W-Well, whatever he told you isn't true! He's a lying bastard! Don't believe anything he says!"

Quite a reaction there, Mr Tomlinson.

"He said the compromise is that you pay the money back over a year." Harry said the first thing that came to his head, and he really regretted getting himself into this now. He couldn't exactly yell "I'm joking!" now because it was too tense. 

"That's not the compromise." Louis argued.

"So there is one?" 

Louis was silent then. Almost at a loss of words. 

"I mean... there isn't a compromise. Either I get that money to him before next Monday or... well, I don't even want to think about what would happen next." Louis sighed, after a moment or so. Harry didn't have much fight left in him to argue back, but he was beginning to just believe that Louis was going to get that money, to save both he and Harry's arses.

\- - -

Louis walked into his bedroom when he arrived home after school, slamming it in frustration. His mum had given him yet another scolding - this time in the form of a slap around the face - for how much trouble he had gotten their family into for getting involved with Ben and his drugs, two years back.

He threw himself down onto his bed, pulling out his phone and checking the new message. 

**Ben:** the clock is ticking, louis. just under a week to get him to agree. 

Louis sighed, heavily, wondering why he had even agreed to do this. It was... inhumane, almost, but he had no other choice now. He got Harry's text contact up and typed out a text, quickly. 

**Louis:** hey Harry, can we talk? It's pretty important. x

A kiss might sweeten the deal. Harry took just over ten minutes to get back to him. 

**Harry:** This is probably about the situation with Ben, isn't it...?

Louis could tell that Harry was catching onto his secrecy, but he had to stick to this. 

**Louis:** Yeah, it is. Look, there's just an idea that's sprung to mind that you could help me with. A way to help me get Ben that money on time. 

He cautiously pressed send, heart pounding as he that saw Harry was typing.

 **Harry:** What sort of 'idea' is this? 

**Louis:** Well... this'll be hard to explain. Let me just put it like this... there are people out there who would pay for... certain things... 

Louis knew Harry would catch onto it immediately. He was an intelligent boy, after all.

 **Harry:** What the fuck are you trying to suggest? 

Oh God, Harry wasn't happy. He was NOT happy.

 **Louis:** Just minor things... like blowjobs for cash? 

**Harry:** No. You can fuck off!!! I'm not becoming a fucking prostitute because you were stupid enough to blow that £2,000 on a bloody phone!!! Why don't you do it?! I'm not earning that money for you and destroying my innocence just so Ben's off your back!!!

Wow. Okay, this wasn't going to be easy. 

**Louis:** Calm down, okay? I'm not doing it, simply because I have something called a reputation. I'm not destroying that. It's not like you'd have to have sex with them, just suck their dicks. Jesus! You gave ME a blowjob so what's the difference?! 

**Harry:** The difference is that I know there are strings attached here, Louis. I know Ben likes me, that's sort of obvious, and I know you two are arranging something between him and I. Don't even try to deny it!

Harry was smarter than Louis thought. Why couldn't he be dumb and gullible, and do what Louis said?

 **Louis:** Nothing too bad. 

**Harry:** Eurgh, I'm not doing ANYTHING with him!!! Or anyone else!!!

 **Louis:** But you'd get me back that money in under a week... because you're just so damn hot and everyone would love you...

At first, Louis didn't regret sending this. It wasn't until it hit him and he processed it, but Harry had already replied. 

**Harry:** Oh, umm... thanks?

Louis nervously nibbled on his bottom lip. 

**Louis:** You know... in a friendly sort of way, I guess. 

**Harry:** Thanks anyway...

It was getting slightly awkward now, but Louis had moved off-topic.

 **Louis:** So... Harold, up for it?

 **Harry:** (It's Harry, you dick) And I'm going out. Bye.

Damn it.

\- - -

The next morning, Harry felt awful. He knew he'd be bombarded with persuasive questions all day from Louis about this prostitution idea, and he was beginning to feel sick to the stomach. Not physically sick, enough to stay home from school, but just sick with apprehension that was bubbling up inside of him.

When he arrived at school, he and Louis couldn't hold eye contact for long without Harry looking away. Louis approached him outside the classroom, placing a hand on his forearm, but Harry hastily brushed it off and ignored him. 

"Harry, I know you feel uncomfortable with this but it's the only option I have left," He reasoned, "There's no other way I can earn two-thousand pounds in such a short amount of time."

"That's not my problem." Harry muttered under his breath. Louis groaned aloud in frustration. 

"Harry, please?" Louis begged, "I'll make it up to you, I promise! Any way you want!"

"A-Any way I want?" Harry reiterated. Louis bit his bottom lip as a seductive smirk made its way onto his face. 

"Any way." He breathed, lowly, in confirmation. Harry's face broke out into a furious blush at how suggestive Louis was being, and it was like he was doing it on purpose to provoke a flustered reaction from Harry.

Harry quickly cleared his throat, "I'll... I'll think about it, okay? Just get back to me when you know more." He really didn't want to think about it.

"Okay. Thanks, Curly." Louis sang, knowing he was one step closer to winning this ongoing battle with Ben.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Louis wants Harry to serve boys sexually for money, basically. I know this isn't very nice of Louis (well, obviously), but he's needy, guys! I hope it was an okayish chapter :)


	36. Chapter Thirty-Six

Harry jolted up in the middle of the night, heavily panting as his drowsy eyes strived to adjust to the pitch black darkness around his bedroom. He had just experienced one of the most awful dreams in his life, and now his heart was thudding and he was lightly sweating.

He patted his bedside table in the darkness until his fingers wrapped around his phone, then he sat up in his bed, against the headboard, and unlocked the device. The time was **04:27AM**.

Still anxious over the horrible dream, which concerned what Louis wanted him to do for money, he scrolled quickly through his phone's contact list until he got to 'Louis'. Without hesitation, he pressed the call button and pressed the phone to his ear, listening to it ring through as his eyes began to adjust now to the room around him. 

The call went to Louis' voicemail, after a few rings, and Harry whispered an annoyed curse before trying again. He crossed his fingers as the call went through again, and prayed to God when he heard sound on the other side. 

"What the hell do you want, man?! It's 4 o'clock in the fucking morning!" Louis grumbled in a low, hot morning voice, which caused Harry to try and ignore those feelings in his stomach. 

"I-I can't do this," Harry breathed. 

"What? Harry, I can't hear you, mate, speak up."

"I said I can't do this." Harry croaked, clearer and louder than before, and he could hear the sound of a lamp being switched on from Louis' side of the call.

"Talk to me, Harry." Louis coaxed, softly, and this relaxed Harry a bit. He actually expected Louis to be irritated and impatient because of the early time, but he must have gotten it wrong. 

"This thing to get money for Ben, I-I just can't do it. I-I'm really s-sorry, Louis." Harry apologised, feeling like his voice was about to crack. There was a short silence, and Harry thought Louis had hung up on him, until he quickly took the phone from his ear to see that the call was still running. He pressed it back to his ear to hear a long sigh.

"Okay," Louis said, gently, "That's okay, Harry."

Harry was softly crying now, both due to being relieved and overwhelmed. Louis shushed him, soothingly, telling him it was alright. 

"I-It's just that y-you have n-no other way to get the m-money now," Harry sobbed, choking in breaths as he tried to steady them.

"I've been doing some thinking too, Harry. It was unfair to try and persuade you to do that, especially seeing as you're so sweet and so unexperienced. I am so, so, so sorry for even attempting it."

"It's okay, Louis, you were desperate-"

"No, it really wasn't okay. It was horrible, and you have every right to punch me round the fucking face. In fact, for everything bad I've done to you in the past. I want you to punch me next time you see me... at school."

"Louis, no. I don't care about getting payback, or whatever you want to call it, because all I care about is that you know you're in the wrong and you apologised for it."

There was a short silence, and Harry could hear Louis' breathing getting heavier, as if he was close to falling asleep on the phone. 

"You can sleep if you want." Harry whispered, very softly, lying back on his pillow, smiling to himself. 

"I don't want you to be lonely." Louis breathed back, sounding utterly exhausted but also slightly cheeky. Harry's smile only widened. 

"Then what do you want to talk about?" Harry asked, faintly. He heard a light chuckle on the other side. "What?" He protested, with a grin that Louis couldn't even see. 

"I think I'm falling in love with you," Louis spoke, sincerely, tone remaining soft. Harry felt his breath hitch and butterflies erupt in his stomach. Had he heard right? 

"Wait, w-what?" He inquired, tripping over his own words. There was then the long, shrill beep to express to him that the call had been ended, as Louis had hung up on him. 

\- - -

Maybe Louis was so tired that he hadn't fully processed what he was saying? Or maybe he was even joking? But this didn't support the fact that he had quickly hung up, as if to avoid being questioned. Harry didn't know what to worry about more: the fact that Louis may or may not have admitted to being in love with him, or the fact that there was now no realistic way to get Ben's £2,000 on time.

It was Wednesday morning, meaning that there were just five more days.

When Harry arrived to class, Louis was already there, sat down. He let Harry squeeze past and sit down, before he did again, too. Harry decided not to ask about Louis' confession, before he hung up last night. 

"Hey," Harry smiled. 

"Hi." Louis whispered, quickly, refusing to meet Harry's eyes. 

"Are you okay?" Harry asked. 

"Yeah, just a little bit tired." Louis admitted, proving this next by covering his mouth as he yawned. This caused Harry to yawn, too. Louis chuckled, gently.

"I, umm, told Ben I won't be able to get that money back by Monday." Louis informed, sternly.

"Oh, really? What did he say?"

Louis' eyes shut and he exhaled, sharply. 

"He got pretty angry," Louis sighed a laugh, "But I told him to leave you out of it, y'know? He agreed in the end, so you don't have to worry anymore."

"I'm gonna keep worrying for **you** , though, Louis! I don't want him to hurt you. That's the last thing I want."

"Thank you, Harry, I think I'll cope." Louis smiled, weakly. Harry could tell that Louis was lying to himself. 

\- - -

"Harry, would you like a friend round for dinner, tonight?" Anne called into the living room, where Harry was watching the television with Gemma. 

"No." Harry yelled back, almost immediately. Anne entered the room and gave Harry a hard stare. 

"Why not? You're being a bit of a social recluse lately, Harry." She accused. Harry rolled his eyes. 

"Friendly reminder that you grounded me for two weeks," He snapped, "And anyway, I don't have any friends that I want you to meet."

Gemma smirked at Harry, nudging him, suggestively, wiggling her eyebrows. He just groaned aloud in annoyance, but couldn't hold back a smile at how obvious she was being. 

"What about your friend, Louis, that Gemma was talking about not long ago? I'm sure he's nice, isn't he?" Anne smiled. Oh God, that'd be so awkward. 

"No, no, it's fine, I don't need anyone over." Harry insisted.

"Well you're going to have a friend over, no matter what." Anne said, sternly. 

"God, Mum, it should be me trying to persuade **you** to let me have a friend over, not vice versa!" Harry giggled.

"I think you should invite Louis," Gemma chipped in, "I'd love to properly meet him."

Harry exhaled, slowly, eyes diverting between his two hopeful family members. 

"Well, he might be busy, anyway. I'll have to ask first!"

"Go on, then." Gemma pushed. Harry pulled out his phone, seeing that it was already nearly five o'clock in the evening. He was tempted to lie by saying he contacted Louis and he said he couldn't make it, but he knew his mum would want to check for evidence. 

**Harry:** Hey Louis, wanna come to my house for dinner tonight? It's alright if you're busy and all... but it's just a suggestion :) 

He pressed send. 

"There. Happy?" He exclaimed, rolling his eyes. Gemma snatched the phone from his hand, pretending to read the message but actually typing out something else, secretly, before Harry could stop her. 

**Harry:** xxxxxxxxxxxx

She handed it back with a smirk. 

"Gemma!" Harry protested, slapping her arm, fiercely. 

"Hey, no hitting!" Anne scolded. Harry quickly glanced down at his phone, ready to apologise about all the unnecessary kisses, but he already had a reply. 

**Louis:** My mum hates me more than ever right now so I think it'd do me some good getting out of the house. What time should I be over? xxxxxxxxxxxx

Gemma stifled a laugh when she read the text. "Aww, he put a load of kisses back!" She cooed, and Anne was leaning over Harry's shoulder to get a look, too. 

"Guys, stop!" Harry chuckled, pushing them both away. Anne was smiling, knowingly, too. 

"Tell him to be here for seven." Anne said, and Harry nodded. 

**Harry:** Around 7ish? 

**Louis:** Will do. See you later, Curly ;) xxx

Gemma wolf-whistled when she read it. 

"He calls me that as a joke! Shut up!" 

"Whatever you say... Curly." Gemma smirked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys didn't really think I'd make Harry a prostitute, did you? :o
> 
> Anyway, Louis is starting to express his feelings now, and Harry is beginning to feel the same way. Love = adorable. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the chapter <3


	37. Chapter Thirty-Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel bad because a couple of you are asking about longer chapters, but I am literally so shit at writing for ages. I do update asap though, so you don't have to wait TOOO long :(
> 
> Anyway, enjoy this awful chapter ;)

"I don't know what Louis likes and what he doesn't," Anne stressed, referring to the options for dinner. 

"Then we should just tell him not to turn up." Harry sassed. Sure, he and Louis were good friends - maybe a bit too good, but it was still going to be awkward introducing Louis to his family, as if he was Harry's new boyfriend. 

"Oh, stop being childish, Harry!" Anne rolled her eyes, "He's supposed to be your friend, for crying out loud, not your mortal enemy!"

"I know that, mum-"

"Then stop acting like it. I'm cooking pasta." She settled, reaching for the cupboard as Harry rolled his eyes behind her back and left. It was quarter to six, so there was still over an hour until Louis was to arrive, but Harry couldn't help but dread it. Especially seeing as Gemma had walked in on them doing something so intimate last week!

"And Harry, dress up, will you? You look a mess!" Anne yelled through the closed kitchen door. 

"Wow, thanks, Mum, but I'm pretty sure Louis has seen me wearing this style before!" Harry argued. He was just wearing his usual outfit, so why should he have to get changed when Louis would probably be dressed very much the same? It was stupid.

Harry spent the next hour playing games such as Fifa on his Xbox, before his mum called him down, sounding utterly stressed. 

"Harry, get your arse down here and help!" She raged, up the stairs. Harry slammed his controller down and switched off his television before stomping out of his room. 

"Mum, it's Louis Tomlinson coming for dinner, not the fucking Queen! Calm down!" Harry yelled, as he reached the bottom of the stairs. Anne pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance. 

"Just stop being so cheeky, Mister, and help out!" She pointed at the cutlery drawer. 

"Set some cutlery on the table, make yourself useful."

Harry groaned and opened up the drawer, getting four forks and four knives before trudging off, into the dining room, where Gemma was sitting on her phone. 

"Hey, ready for your boyfriend to meet your family?" She smirked, knowing it  irritated Harry beyond belief. 

"Gemma, can you just stop assuming things already? Louis and I are just friends! Just because you walked in on... that... it doesn't mean we're a couple, for flip sake!" Harry angrily slammed down the cutlery onto the oak tabletop. "And anyway, you're the one telling me not to jump into bed with him! Stop being a hypocrit!"

"You can be in relationships without sex," Gemma said, and Harry cringed, "But... even if you did decide to... do it, it'd have to be for the best of reasons. You'd have to really make sure he's in love with you, and isn't just using you."

**"I think I'm falling in love with you..."**

Harry felt a dense shiver run through him at the memory of Louis' soft statement, as he stared at the wall, and Gemma began frantically waving a hand in front of his eyes, giggling in the process. 

"Earth to Harry!" She sang, and Harry quickly shook out of his daze. Just then, the doorbell rang through the house. Harry cursed aloud, while Gemma giggled at his reaction. 

Harry made his way back into the hallway, hearing Gemma following, and he jogged to the door. He gave Gemma a threatening, 'don't-embarrass-yourself-or-me' look, before opening the door. 

And Louis looked absolutely gorgeous. He was wearing his usual black clothing and eyeliner, however his hair looked soft and feathery, styled across his forehead. Harry couldn't help but be in awe for a second, before Louis' face cracked into a grin.

"Hey," Louis greeted, lowly, not seeing Gemma stood there, then he cleared his throat and a blush overcame his face. Was Louis just putting on that tone for Harry? Well, whoever it was for, it was fucking hot, in Harry's opinion. 

Harry let Louis in and shut the front door after him. Gosh, Louis smelt so good... wait, Harry wasn't smelling him - of course not! Gemma was eyeing Louis, almost interrogating him, as though to see whether he was good enough to be Harry's friend.

"Hi, we haven't met properly yet, have we?" Gemma smiled, in a welcoming manner, "I'm Gemma, Harry's sister."

"I'm Louis, nice to meet you." Louis said, politely, shaking Gemma's outstretched hand. Harry was glad Louis was... behaving. 

Anne left the kitchen and grinned when she saw Louis, but Harry noticed the very brief up-and-down look that was given to him by her, almost in sheer disapproval. 

"Hello, Louis, I'm Harry's mum. You can call me Anne." She grinned, too shaking his hand. "Are you a fussy eater?"

"No, not really," Louis chuckled, nervously. Harry gave Louis a reassuring smile. 

"Great! Pasta's okay, then. Why don't you three go and sit in the dining room and I'll bring the food out in a second." Anne suggested. Harry nodded, leading Louis across the hallway and into the reasonably sized room. Harry sat next to Louis at the table, and Gemma sat opposite Louis. It was like she wanted to just stare at him, trying to work him out.

Harry hadn't ever seen Louis acting so quiet and shy before. He was fiddling with his fingers on the table and avoiding eye contact with Gemma. 

"So, I'm guessing you're in Harry's class?" Gemma tried to make conversation, but Harry quickly answered on Louis' behalf.

"Well, duh! We did a project together, you idiot." Harry giggled, causing Louis to breathe out a small laugh. 

"Well, excuse me for trying to make chitchat!" Gemma pretended to be offended, holding a hand to her chest. Harry was sort of glad when Louis asked something back. 

"And I'm guessing you're in uni?" He asked, more confidently now, and she smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm on a break at the moment. Going back next year." She informed, brightly. Harry could tell that Louis didn't give a single shit about Gemma's life,  however he was just being polite.

Anne entered the room, managing to balance four bowls of food on her arms and hands like a waitress, and she set one in front of everyone. 

"Thank you." Louis smiled, which Anne grinned at. Louis was already in their good books... despite what Gemma witnessed in the past. 

Anne took a seat next to Gemma, opposite Harry, and everyone began eating. 

"How long have you two been friends, then?" Anne inquired Harry and Louis. Louis swallowed his mouthful before replying. 

"Umm, well, I don't know." He shrugged, gently laughing. Harry cut in.

"Since about a month or more after I joined."

"So... you two just didn't talk before that?" Gemma chipped in, before chewing her food.

Harry had horrible flashbacks of how terribly Louis treated him before then. At that time, Harry didn't see a point in attending school at all, when Louis was just so relentlessly violent and unwelcoming towards him. 

"You could say that, yeah." Harry mumbled, speedily putting on a smile. There was a short silence, during which Gemma once again stared at Louis. It was like she just couldn't figure him out. Louis looked up when she was staring, so he quickly smiled at her, before turning to face Harry, who seemed to be the only person he was comfortable looking at. 

"You've got a curl going into your eyes," He said, softly, before reaching forward and gently tucking the curl in question away from Harry's face. Louis and Harry then held eye contact for a moment, and a smile broke onto Louis' face. They hastily looked away to find Gemma with a smirk at the interaction. 

After a while, they had all finished eating, and Louis thanked Anne again while she collected in the plates, before leaving the room again.

"Guys, can I have a talk with you?" Gemma questioned, causing Harry's heart to start thudding. He shot Gemma a 'don't-you-fucking-dare!' look, but she didn't take the hint. 

"O-Okay," Louis nodded, unsurely, glancing at Harry for confirmation, who had just given up by now. 

"Louis... you know Harry's a virgin, don't you?" She quizzed, slowly.

"Gemma!" Harry protested, reaching his foot in her direction under the table to stubbornly stomp on her foot. 

"I do, yeah," Louis replied, casually, anyway, causing Harry to want to disappear right there and then. Louis seemed unfazed by the talk, but Harry was furiously blushing already. 

"So if you ever were to go further than just oral sex, I just want you to-"

"Oh my God, Gemma, just stop already!" Harry yelled, beginning to get frustrated by his sister - who thought she was actually helping them, here. Even Louis was blushing a little bit now.

"I just want you to be careful, and gentle." Gemma finished. Harry had his face in his hands now, as he had been completely conquered by embarrassment. 

"We will be." Louis smiled.

Wait... 'will'?


	38. Chapter Thirty-Eight

When Louis left, at around 8:45PM, Harry was immediately bombarded by opinions from his mum, who had been moderately quiet for a lot of the evening.  

"He's polite," She complimented, "But!"

"Oh, here we go." Harry grumbled, waiting for the criticisms to fly into their conversation. 

"I can tell he's the one who's... changing you. I won't be very happy if he's the one who exhorted you to smoke!" She opposed. 

"Mum, I'm sick and tired of you bringing that into everything! I haven't smoked for ages now, and at the time it was because I was curious and stressed! Louis is my friend, he was just trying to help me!" Harry attested, with a sigh. 

"Alright," Anne held her hands up in surrender, "I'll let you hang around with whoever you want, but it'll be your own fault if he ever does anything weird. He just doesn't seem... like a very grounded person, he seems like trouble." She spoke, slowly. 

Harry said no more. Without helping with the dishes or clearing up, he stormed upstairs, making sure to slam the door behind him. He was irritated at how she made one positive observation, about how polite Louis was, but then went on to say he "doesn't seem like a very grounded person". It was like she was striving to find every little flaw in Louis, which was just unfair.

\- - -

At school the next day, Thursday morning, Louis seemed particularly quiet. He sat next to Harry, being reflectively silent, and actually did some work. Zayn and Liam kept glancing back at him to shake their heads, so Harry made sure to shoot them death stares for being so rude. They had no idea how Louis was feeling. 

"Are you okay?" Harry finally asked, around two thirds into the lesson. Louis nodded without looking up, continuing to write his work. "You don't seem it." Harry commented, softly. 

"Stressed." Louis stated, flatly. Harry slowly nodded. 

"About the Ben situation?" He guessed. Louis just nodded his head again, sucking his bottom lip into his mouth. "What's going on with it? If you don't mind me asking."

"He's been texting me a lot," Louis said, lifelessly, pulling out his phone and unlocking it, under the table so it was out of Mr Gordon's sight. "Look." He handed his phone to Harry. 

**Ben:** worried, kid? 

**Ben:** time is running out

 **Ben:** what are you gonna do now the pretty boy has bailed on your plan? 

**Ben:** you should be worried about what I'll do if I don't get that fucking money

 **Ben:** let's just say you won't be seeing little harry again ;)

Harry's breath hitched as he stiffly handed the phone back. What did he mean by the last text? Harry had to ask.

"W-What does the last text mean?" Harry stuttered.

Louis shrugged, "How would I know? It either means he does something to you or he does something to me. I hope it's the second option."

Harry was panicking now. "But... but he said he's leaving me out of it now!"

"Then it's probably the second option, isn't it?" Louis snapped, "Look, Harry, I don't think you're quite mature enough to be involved with this anymore."

"What the fuck? How am I not mature enough? I'm not the one who got you into this bloody mess in the first place!" Harry yelled, loud enough now for the entire class to hear. 

"Harry Styles, go and stand outside. Now!" Mr Gordon demanded. Wow, it had been a while now since this had happened. Angrily, trying to ignore the stares from Niall, Perrie and Hannah, Harry stormed out of the room. 

'Not mature enough.' Pfft, Harry had 500 times more maturity than Louis fucking Tomlinson. How could Louis say that, anyway, when he was the one pining for Harry's help not too long ago? If anything, Louis was the one who couldn't handle this.

\- - -

After school, Louis knocked on his sister, Lottie's, bedroom door. The ear-burstingly loud music was paused from inside. 

"What?!" She yelled, annoyed that somebody had interrupted her time by herself. 

"It's me," Louis sighed, "Can I come in?"

A moment later, the door creaked open, and Lottie was stood with a hand on her hip as she suspiciously eyed her older brother.

"What do you want?" She quizzed, sternly. 

"I just wanted to talk to you." Louis apprised, flatly. 

"Well it must be important if you actually want to talk to me for once," Lottie gave in, opening up her bedroom door fully so Louis could wander in and sit at her desk. Lottie shut the door behind them and perched herself on the edge of her bed. 

"What's it about, then?" She queried. Louis took a deep breath as he thought about how to say it.

"Well, umm, it's sort of about school and friends, y'know?" Louis briefed, and Lottie hummed along. "Let's just say... well, have you ever... been in love?" 

Lottie's eyebrows creased at the random topic. "Umm... I think so. Why?"

Louis tensed, now that he had someone's full attention on the matter. "I think I'm... in love."

Lottie's face stayed neutral, and didn't hint a single gesture of joy for her older brother. 

"You don't really seem like the type of person to be in love," She noted, honestly, "No offence, but you don't seem romantic enough. All I know is that you bring a new girl home every week... well, you **did** , until recently." Lottie analysed, staring into space. 

"I never thought I'd actually fall in love. I guess I've just always thought love was stupid and optional, but I didn't mean to fall in love. It just kinda happened, I guess." Louis ranted, passionately. Lottie was smiling now, very softly. 

"Who's this girl, then?" She grilled, "That you think you're in love with?"

Louis felt his breath hitch. Of **course** Lottie just had to make it ten times more awkward by guessing the wrong gender! It wasn't her fault, though, because Louis wasn't someone who'd strike you as being gay.

"Well, I wouldn't exactly put it like that..." Louis hinted. Lottie's face scrunched up.

"Wait... so you're **not** in love?" She asked in a dazzled tone. Louis quickly exhaled though his mouth. 

"I am, but..." Louis lightly shook his head. "Ugh, you know what? It doesn't even matter, anyway." Louis pushed himself up off the chair and headed towards the door, but he was stopped as he reached for the door handle.

"Wait, wait, wait," Lottie chanted, desperately, quickly standing up, "Is the person... not a girl?" She caught on. Louis felt like his insides dropped inside of him, and he was utterly terrified for a moment. He had respectively just come out to his little sister. 

His face flushed red, "Umm, n-no, but... y-yes, uh..." He was lost for words, becoming a stuttering mess, and Lottie's eyebrows were now raised and her eyes were now wide. 

"Holy shit! You're gay?!" She yelled, in shock. 

Louis harshly shushed her, "Shut up, you idiot! Keep your voice down!" He raged, in whisper. Lottie's apologised in whisper, before continuing in the hushed volume. 

"So... are you, then?" She coaxed. This was when Louis felt tears start to prickle his eyes, as he gave a shrug and a nod at the same time, before his breathing began to waver. Lottie had quickly bolted over to him, wrapping him in a supportive hug as the first tear of his fell, cascading down his cheek. 

"It's okay, Louis," She soothed, with a heartfelt smile, "Thank you for telling me. It's okay."

"N-No it's not," Louis choked on sobs, finding it hard to breathe, "I-I c-can't be."

"Who said that?!" Lottie argued, "You can't help who you are!"

Louis broke the hug and ran his thumb under his eyes to wipe a tear away, causing his black eyeliner to smudge under his right eye. He had never bothered buying the waterproof stuff because he was never usually the boy to cry. 

"Are you interested in girls, too, or is it just boys?" Lottie questioned, gently. 

"Well, I mean, I-I've never really had true feelings f-for girls," Louis admitted, through broken sobs, because it was very much true. 

"Then you must be gay." Lottie concluded. "So who's the boy that you think you're in love with?"

Louis' mind projected a film in his head of the beautiful Harry Styles. He softly smiled as he sniffled. 

"Harry. Harry Styles."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Louis sort of admitted it! Yaaaas


	39. Chapter Thirty-Nine

Louis was still shakily sobbing, quieter now, and had calmed down as he sat by Lottie on the edge of her bed. She was watching him in concern. 

"Are you crying because you're overwhelmed or because you're upset?" She asked, slowly. Louis childishly shrugged before replying. 

"I-I just don't want to be... gay. I-I don't want other people to j-judge me." He stuttered. Lottie nodded, exhaling deeply. 

"Before you worry about anyone else's opinions, I think you need to first admit it to **yourself**." Lottie concluded. Louis shook his head. 

"I want to be able to admit it, but I just can't bring myself to do it." Louis successfully spoke without faltering this time. 

"Stand up." Lottie instructed, suddenly.

"Why?"

"Just do it." Lottie pushed. Louis sighed, feeling like a total idiot as he got to his feet and folded his arms in impatience. 

"I'm stood up."

"Go and stand in front of my mirror." Lottie commanded, pointing to the long, gold-rimmed mirror that was standing against the wall, near Lottie's desk. 

"This is so stupid." Louis whispered, in annoyance, as he did as told, standing in front of the mirror, but facing his sister. 

"I want you to look yourself in the eye, and I want you to say it." Lottie stated, as determined as a therapist would be. Louis shook his head. 

"N-No!" He whined, in complaint.

"It's either this or I tell this Harry guy how you feel towards him." Lottie threatened, causing Louis' mouth to fall open. 

"That's blackmail!" He raged, hands on hips. 

"C'mon, just do it. Face the mirror." 

Louis breathed out slowly through his nose before facing the mirror, as demanded to. He looked a mess: hair unruly, eyeliner smudged down his cheeks, eyes red and puffy. 

"Just say it. Say: 'I'm gay'." Lottie convinced. Louis looked into the mirror, meeting eyes with his own reflected ones. 

"I-I-" He cut off and shook his head, feeling as though he was making a fool out of himself, even know it was only his  younger sister with him in the room. "I can't do it."

"Take your time." Lottie soothed. Louis looked at his reflection again.

"I'm... I'm..."

"Come on," Lottie whispered. 

"I'm gay." Louis breathed out, before he froze. He had now admitted it to himself. He had allowed those words to leave his mouth, and it felt like a huge weight off his shoulders, even though it really wasn't. 

"Well done, Louis," Lottie congratulated, softly, standing up and wrapping him in another hug, "Now you just have to think about whether you want to tell Harry."

Oh God. Louis had already accidently said something along the lines of "I think I'm falling in love with you", and he wasn't sure why he said it at that moment in time but it just felt right to. His mind exploded into those words. 

"I'm too scared." Louis frowned. 

"The worst he could do is not like you back, Louis. If that's the case, you pick yourself up and carry on. I know you're strong, Lou."

"No, the worst he could do is laugh in my face and tell everyone!" Louis exclaimed, worriedly. 

"And do you really think he'd be the sort of person to do that? Come on, Louis, be realistic!" Lottie argued. 

"I'm going to bed." Louis drawled out.

"But it's only," Lottie glanced up at the clock in her lilac wall, "Four o'clock."

"Well, I'm going to bed early, then."

\- - -

And Louis didn't actually go to bed. No, he just shut his curtains and lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. The urge to pick up his mobile phone, which lay on his bedside table, to call Harry was slowly growing. The last time he had let a secret about his feelings slip out to Harry, he had immediately hung up and panicked, to the point where he didn't get any sleep afterwards.

Coincidentally, his phone buzzed on his bedside table, and a text notification from Harry flashed on the screen. Louis immediately worried, feeling like Harry was reading his mind, but he abandoned this thought because it was just stupid. 

He frantically scooped up his phone. 

**Harry:** I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier. 

Louis eagerly typed back. 

**Louis:** I should be the one apologising... again. I shouldn't have said you're not mature. You're probably more mature than I'll ever be.

On Harry's side of the conversation, he was curled up on the sofa, in front of the television, on his own. His mum and Gemma had not long ago gone out to buy Gemma some new shoes, so he was home alone.

 **Harry:** Glad you finally admitted it ;)

From where Louis sat in his room, his eyes widened when this text came up. He instantly thought Harry was referring to Louis recently admitting to himself that he was gay.

 **Louis:** Admitting to... what? 

He must have been overreacting pretty badly because he now believed Harry was able to read his fucking mind. 

**Harry:** That I'm more mature than you, silly!

Oh, thank God! 

**Louis:** In some ways I guess you are, but in other ways I run rings around your matureness.

 **Harry:** Is 'matureness' even a word? ;)

Louis froze and cursed to himself, in whisper. He had made a fool out of himself once again. 

**Louis:** Whatever! Aren't you even going to ask which way I'm more mature than you? ;)

Harry already knew that Louis was referring to something sexual. It was pretty inevitable. 

**Harry:** Okay... in what way are you more mature than me...?

He decided to play along with Louis' stupid game, anyway. 

**Louis:** I'm more experienced in bed, baby ;)

Harry's stomach flipped; not at the fact that Louis was talking about experience in bed, but because of the name 'baby' he had used.

 **Harry:** Not relevant but alright...

Louis bit his bottom lip, resting his hand on his stomach as he replied. He wanted to talk normally to Harry, and lovingly, but he just could never stop these constant urges of just **wanting** him.

 **Louis:** I bet you'd love to experience how good I am in bed, wouldn't you, baby? ;)

 **Harry:** Louis... are you coming onto me?

Louis wasn't sure what it was - true lust or uncomfortable humour - but he found himself replying with something staggeringly inappropriate. 

**Louis:** I'd like to cum ON you... ;)

Harry dropped his phone when he read the reply, mouth and eyes wide. Had Louis seriously just said that? 

**Harry:** What the actual fuck? Are you drunk, or something? 

**Louis:** I'm completely sober.

 **Harry:** Then why would you put that? If you're trying to seduce me, it's not fucking working!

 **Louis:** Give me a night sometime and I will seduce you. Easily. 

**Harry:** Sorry, but I won't spend a night with someone who doesn't care about commitment. Sorry, Louis. Bye.

 **Louis:** Call me

 **Harry:** no, Louis, go away now

 **Louis:** I'll call you then

Harry rolled his eyes as his phone began frantically buzzing and ringing in his hand. He rolled his eyes, answering it, anyway.

"Louis, I'm not interested in you showing me what you're like in bed." Harry groaned, instantly. 

"Wait, it's about what you mentioned a second ago... about commitment." Louis stated. 

"Yeah? What about it?" Harry asked, slowly. He heard Louis sigh, stressfully.

"I know that I can be... quite sexual, but that doesn't mean I don't care about commitment."

"What're you trying to imply here?" Harry questioned, worriedly. Here it comes. 

"I think I like you, Harry, and I care about commitment. I may want to get you into bed, because you're damn hot, but I also care about making sure not to leave you on your own afterwards. I'm sorry that I've been so unreadable and so in denial for so long, but at the end of the day I think I've sort of fallen in love with you." Louis poured out his feelings. He felt like he should have kept that to himself but he couldn't contain it anymore. 

There was a heavy silence. 

"Are you still there?" Louis asked, sadly. 

"Y-Yeah, I'm still here." Harry confirmed. 

"Listen, I'm sorry if that was a bit too overwhelming, it's just-"

"I think I'm in love with you, too," Harry breathed, cutting Louis right off. Louis had to grip his phone tighter in order to restrain dropping it. There was another silence before Louis asked:

"Really?"

"S-Sort of, yeah," Harry chuckled, very weakly, "I've always found you kind of enticing, even when you were bullying me, but I guess I've never wanted to admit it to myself."

"So, what you're saying is... we're both in love with each other and we never even knew...?" Louis was baffled. 

"Yeah." Harry piped. Louis breathed out, slowly.

"I guess there's only one more thing to ask." Louis breathed. 

"What's that?"

"Harry Styles, would you like to go on a date with me?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if it seemed rushed. Hope you enjoyed horny Louis ;)


	40. Chapter Forty

Harry jogged to catch up with Louis in the school hallway. It was as if Louis was trying to walk particularly fast, to get rid of Harry, so no one saw them together. That upset Harry, a bit.

"Lou, slow down!" Harry whined, working his legs extra hard to keep up. 

"Harry, speed up!" Louis sassed, stuffing his hands into his hoodie's pockets. Harry knew this would happen: Louis' attitude towards him would change at school. 

"I just want to talk about our date!" Harry reasoned, aloud. Louis suddenly came to a halt, almost causing a collision between he and Harry. Louis turned to Harry, quickly, shushing him very harshly as he glanced around to see if anyone had heard. Luckily for Louis, they hadn't. 

"Shut up, people will hear you!" Louis angrily whispered. Harry's face fell. 

"What you're saying is... as soon as we're in public, it's a complete secret?" Harry asked, firmly. 

"Harry, I'm still... 'in the closet'..." Louis breathed, using finger quotations, "When I'm comfortable enough, I might let people know, but not right now. I've only just come to terms with it for myself."

Harry sighed, lightly nodding. 

"Anyway, where would you like to go for the date?" Louis whispered, with a smile, after noting Harry's sadness. Harry perked up, immediately. 

"Anywhere! Just so long as it's not a posh place because that's really awkward for first dates." Harry chuckled, nervously, at the memory of his date with Alex. 

"Alright," Louis nodded, staring into space, "How about... something like bowling?"

"Yeah! Sounds fun," Harry grinned, "Even though I'm shit at it..."

"Maybe some of my bowling expertise will rub off on you, if you're lucky." Louis winked, causing Harry to roll his eyes with a giggle. "How does Saturday at eight o'clock sound? I could pick you up."

"Sounds perfect." Harry smiled, softly. "Can't wait."

"Neither can I. Now, how about we get to class."

"I'd rather not." Harry joked. A smirk slowly rose on Louis' face, as he stared at Harry. "What? Is there something on my face?" Harry panicked, under Louis' smug gaze. 

"We don't have to go to class if we don't want to," Louis hinted, in a low voice.

"Yes, we do," Harry corrected, patting Louis' shoulder and beginning to walk towards the classroom door. 

"Nerd." Louis smirked, earning a slap on the arm from Harry. 

\- - -

 **Harry:** Niall, how would you feel if I told you I'm going on a date with Louis...?

 **Niall:** fucking confused ! i thought he still hated u ? now he likes u enough to take u out ? wow

 **Harry:** Yeah, it kind of progressed quickly. I just thought I'd tell you, you know? Just so you know.

 **Niall:** well... thanks 4 letting me know ?

 **Harry:** That's okay. Just don't tell Hannah, okay? I feel as though she still likes Louis and it might break her heart. She'd hate me!

 **Niall:** harry... hannah is sat right next 2 me. she knows.

"Shit!" Harry whispered to himself. He shouldn't have even told **one** person, let alone two!

 **Harry:** Hannah, I'm really sorry if you're upset :(

 **Niall:** This is Hannah. Listen, it's ok. You two have fun, yeah? (:

Harry sighed in relief. 

**Harry:** Thanks for being a good sport. Can you and Niall not tell anyone else, please? Especially don't tell Louis that you know! He doesn't want people to know. 

**Niall:** Perrie knows... that's about it, aside from us two. We'll all keep it to ourselves (:

 **Harry:** Thank you, Guys. 

Harry didn't regret telling anybody. They seemed trustworthy enough, seeing as they were all friends now, but Harry was mainly hoping Louis didn't find out that anybody else was aware. He'd most likely kill Harry, brutally, and that wouldn't be a happy ending for them. 

\- - -

Harry was absolutely terrified when Saturday finally came around. He was worrying all day, until seven, which was when he needed to get ready. He had a long, thorough shower - one where you mostly use it as a time to reflect on your life - and then he got dressed in a tight, white t-shirt and black skinny jeans. He applied a new layer of eyeliner, then some aftershave, before he sat on his bed and went on his phone as his hair dried, naturally. Whenever he used a hairdryer, his hair went far too voluminous and it looked stupid, he thought. 

His door flew open as he was watching a YouTube video, and Gemma casually walked in.

"You look and smell good. What's the occasion?" She quizzed. Harry shot her a blank stare. "Going on a date?"

Harry tried to keep a straight face as he stared at her, but he couldn't help a grin from building onto his face. 

"You are! Are you giving Alex another chance?" She beamed. Harry shook his head, sternly. 

"Wait... Louis!" She gasped, in realisation, sounding utterly ecstatic. Harry couldn't hold back an even larger grin. 

"Okay, if you have sex, wear a condom and use plenty of lube!" Gemma advised, causing Harry to cringe as his face heated up.

"Gemma, gross! That's so unnecessary!" Harry blushed.

"It's just in case, Harry, I'm just looking after you." Gemma giggled, patting Harry's shoulder. "Anyway, I hope it goes well for you. Tell me everything when you get home tonight. Well... **if** you get home tonight." Gemma smirked, suggestively, nudging Harry's side with her elbow. 

"Fuck off." Harry chuckled, checking the time at the top of his phone. **19:49**. "He'll be here in ten minutes, I better get my arse downstairs."

"Good luck, little brother!" Gemma exclaimed, happily, ruffling Harry's now dry curls.

\- - -

"You look great." Louis smiled, when they had climbed into his car, and plugged in their seatbelts.

"Really? I'm just wearing jeans and a t-shirt. You look better!" Harry giggled. Louis did look great. He was wearing black skinny jeans, rolled up at the ankles, black Vans, a plain white t-shirt - like Harry - but it was topped off with a black blazer, which also had its sleeves rolled up to his elbows. 

"Hardly," Louis chuckled, as he backed the car out of the driveway, glancing over his shoulder to do so. 

"But you'd look good in anything, anyway." Harry smiled, as Louis pulled the car onto the road. 

"I look even better when I'm wearing nothing, though, don't I?" Louis smirked, and Harry gasped, purposely in a dramatic way.

"It's only our first date and you're already mentioning your naked body to me? Wow, I think I've found myself a keeper." Harry chuckled, sarcastically, with a smirk. Louis turned the radio on for the rest of the journey, which didn't take too long. 

"I booked a bowling lane. I heard it's always pretty busy on Saturdays." Louis informed, as he pulled into a parking space that was reasonably close to the building. They climbed out of the car and Louis locked it behind them, then he took Harry by surprise by joining their hands together as they entered the bowling alley. 

It was very busy inside, full of the sound of pins being knocked down and enthusiastic chatter, above the modern music, making Harry glad Louis had been organised enough to book it. Louis gave his surname in at the reception, and they were told to go to lane 14. 

When they got there, they had the option to type their names into the game's system, so it would show up on the television above to keep their scores. Louis hastily stepped forward to type them. 

He put himself as **Hottie** while he put Harry as **Curly**.

"Wow," Harry rolled his eyes with a laugh, "I should've guessed you'd go for those."

Louis smirked, and Harry took a seat on the wooden bench, as Louis grabbed the largest bowling ball, almost dropping it altogether, so Harry stifled a laugh. 

"No need to show off!" He called, causing Louis to put his middle finger up, playfully, before placing the large ball back and selecting a smaller one. Harry watched in amusement as Louis took his shot, and the ball rolled straight into the gutter. 

Harry clutched his stomach as he erupted into manic laughter, and Louis rushed back over and smacked his arm, playfully. 

"I-I thought you mentioned 'bowling expertise' earlier!" Harry choked on laughter, only just managing to utter a sentence. 

"Shut up, I was warming up! We'll see if you can do any better!" He chuckled. He took his turn for a spare, but only knocked one pin down.

He blushed before sitting down on the bench as Harry stood up and picked up a reasonable bowling ball for his strength. He stood up to the line and bowled the ball along the lane, cheering as he knocked down two pins, before the ball rolled into the end of the gutter. 

He turned back to see Louis pouting. Harry took his second turn and managed to knock another two pins down.

"It's time to up my game!" Louis exclaimed, enthusiastically, once Harry had finished his turn. He grabbed the same ball he used before, which had been sent back by the machine, and took his shot.

He instantly got a strike, knocking every single pin down, before simply sending Harry a smug, 'I-told-you-so' look as he took a seat. 

"You must have cheated!" Harry smirked, quickly getting up and retrieving his previous ball, having his go. He managed to knock over four pins this time, but it still didn't compare to Louis' strike. He had his attempt to get a spare but missed all the remaining pins completely. 

"Poor, poor Harold." Louis breathed, smugly, getting up and taking his turn. He got yet another strike. 

"See?" He said, cockily, "My first shot was just to deceive you, but now I'm going to absolutely thrash you at this." 

Harry giggled, "I just can't do it!"

"Need some guidance? I'm a professional bowler, so I could help if you'd like?" Louis smirked, sarcastically. 

"Just tell me what to do to get a better result." 

"Alright, grab a ball." Louis commanded. Harry stood up and did so. "Now, squint one eye and visualise the ball in front of the first pin, in the centre. When you're ready, just try and swing the ball in that path."

It sounded effective enough. Harry tried Louis' method and knocked almost every pin down, aside from just one. 

"Well done!" Louis congratulated. 

The banter and bowling continued, until, after quite a while, they had finished the entire game. It ended with Louis getting 194 points, while Harry got just 103 points. Louis didn't boast, surprisingly. They left the bowling alley, seeing as there was nothing else to do there now, and walked to Louis' car. It was past nine o'clock now, and had become considerably dark.

"Well... what now?" Louis chuckled, as they climbed inside and he started the engine. 

"I don't know." Harry giggled. 

"My mum and sister have gone out for the weekend, I don't want to go home on my own." Louis whispered. 

"That is such a hint!" Harry exclaimed, in amusement.

"Yeah... it is. Do you wanna come over? I could give you a lift home a bit later?" Louis finally asked. 

"Sure," Harry smiled, "I hate being alone, too."

\- - -

They ended up sat on Louis' bed in his bedroom, playing a very competitive game of Fifa on Louis' PlayStation 4. As usual, Louis beat Harry. He was just better than Harry at everything, it seemed. 

"Let's turn this crap off!" Harry exclaimed, with a smirk, after yet another loss against Louis. 

"You're just a sore loser." Louis stated, smugly, turning the console and television off, anyway. Harry sat against the headboard of Louis' bed, whereas Louis sat at the end of the bed, cross-legged. 

"Thanks for tonight," Harry smiled, "It's been so fun."

"That's okay. Thanks for being great company!" Louis returned the grin. Harry's eyes connected with his, and one of those loving, passionate stares began between them. 

"Can I kiss you?" Louis breathed, into the comfortable silence. 

"I don't kiss on first dates." Harry smirked, causing Louis to roll his eyes.

"Then what do you do?" Louis lowered his tone and bit his lower lip. Harry pretended to sport a serious thinking face.

"Well, it depends." He breathed out, also having lowered his tone slightly, so it went straight to Louis' dick. 

"On what?" Louis whispered.

"Do you promise to make me feel really good?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun duuuuuuuun ;)


	41. Chapter Forty-One

Louis stared at Harry, gawping, wondering whether he had somehow heard wrong. Harry stared back, a glint prominent in his eye, and Louis had to break the sexual tension-clogged silence. 

"Wait... y-you're being serious? You really want to..." Louis trailed off in a hint.

"Well," Harry breathed, "I just feel like... even though it's just the first date... I want you to touch me."

If Louis had been eating or drinking something at that moment, he'd have definitely spat it out, but all he could do was suck in a harsh breath of air at Harry's sudden request. 

"Y-You mean, like, sexually?" Louis questioned, stupidly. 

"You know that's what I mean," Harry smirked. 

"Harry, only if you really want me to." Louis reasoned, and Harry's face cracked into a pleased grin. 

"Good! You passed my test!" Harry exclaimed, happily. Louis' eyebrows furrowed immediately.

"Test? What?" He asked, baffled. 

"I wanted to see whether you'd actually ask if I was sure about it, opposed to just taking advantage of me. You made sure I was happy with it, so you passed my test!" Harry explained. Louis didn't know whether to feel happy or disappointed. Did this mean Harry didn't actually want Louis to touch him?

"Oh... okay?" Louis, asked, slowly.

"Aww, little Lou looks upset now." Harry cooed, smirking as he pouted out his bottom lip, as though Louis was a young child. 

"How do I?" 

"You probably actually wanted to do it, didn't you?" Harry questioned, with a smug smile. Louis fiddled with his fingers, nervously, before shrugging. 

"I wouldn't actually mind... if that's what you truly want." Harry opted. Louis' eyebrows raised. 

"R-Really?" God, he knew he really had to win back his dominant position by stopping the damn stuttering.

"How about you switch the lamp on and the light off... to set the mood a little?" Harry smirked, and Louis couldn't help but giggle. He jumped up and switched off the main light, as Harry switched on the lamp on Louis' bedside table. 

"Come here," Harry commanded, softly, patting the covers by his side, near the headboard of Louis' bed. Shyly at first, which was surprising, Louis walked over and sat on his knees by Harry, on the bed. Harry lay back on the bed, so his head was resting back on the plump pillow. He glanced up at Louis, seductively, and smirked.

"Take my clothes off." Harry whispered, causing Louis to immediately flush red. If any girl Louis had fucked in the past would have asked this, it would have seemed completely normal, but this was coming from the living perfection that was Harry Styles. 

"Yeah?" Louis asked, in confirmation, and Harry smiled as he nodded, reassuringly. Louis tried to remove some awkwardness and go for it, straddling Harry's body so one thigh was either side of Harry's small waist. Louis hooked his fingers underneath the hem of Harry's tight t-shirt before quickly pulling it upwards. Harry lifted his arms so the fabric could pass over his head, before Louis threw it to the floor. 

"Wow," Louis breathed, in awe over the lightly toned, pale skin of Harry's bare torso. He hadn't appreciated it the last time it had been exposed, on the night that Harry had given him a blowjob, because he was too infatuated by what was happening at the time that he wasn't concentrating. Harry's cheeks heated up on hearing the word leave Louis' lips. 

"C-Can I touch?" Louis reiterated, carefully, like Harry was fragile. 

"Only if you take your t-shirt off, too." Harry said, playfully. Louis rolled his eyes, giggling, before shrugging off his blazer and then tugging his t-shirt off. He threw them to the floor, surprised when he felt Harry's hands roaming up his hot torso. 

"Your body is more 'wow' than mine, anyway," Harry chuckled lightly. In one swift movement, Louis scooped Harry's wrists into one hand and pinned them against the headboard, above Harry's head, before leaning down and passionately attaching his lips to Harry's. Harry hummed, appreciatively, into the kiss and happily returned it with just as much hunger. 

Harry was breathing very rapidly as Louis' lips left his, instead kissing along his jawline, and this caused Harry to raise his chin and moan very quietly, as his eyes fluttered shut. Louis kissed down Harry's neck, stopping at his collar bone before joining his lips to the soft skin and sucking, pretty harshly. Harry's breath hitched, however he craved the feeling, and he turned his head on the pillow in order to give Louis more space. 

He wanted to tangle his hands in Louis' hair, but they were still contained within Louis' tight grip, so he was prevented from doing so. Once Louis had finished, a dark, red bruise was highly visible on Harry's neck, however he didn't care at that moment. Instead, he kissed Louis again, desperately, moaning into the kiss as a way to ask for something more. Something else to satisfy the blood racing to his lower region. 

Louis finally released Harry's hands, and Harry was happy until he heard Louis' next request: "Lie on your hands."

Made sure he did this, hastily, not wanting to disobey Louis. 

"Good," Louis breathed, "Good boy."

Harry's chest was rising and falling, fast, as Louis left a trail of hot, wet kisses down it, travelling to his right nipple. He sucked on it, causing Harry to shiver and hum out a sound, and then Louis let his tongue flick over it. Harry had never been this turned on in his whole life, and it was all happening so quickly. 

Louis continued to leave kisses down Harry's stomach, allowing his eyes to glance up once to meet a flustered Harry's, before letting them dart to the waistline of Harry's jeans, which he had reached. 

"Are you okay if I take these off?" He asked, trying to sound gentle, even though he was clearly trying to disguise the arousal in his tone. 

"D-Do it. Please." Harry begged, in less than a whisper. Louis didn't want to keep Harry waiting. He unbuttoned the skintight jeans, beginning to tug them off, and Harry managed to lift his lower half - leaving his hands beneath him - so Louis could pull the jeans off and throw them to the floor. 

"Looks like someone's already getting hard," Louis chuckled, seductively, "I didn't know I turned you on **that** much, Curly." He smirked. 

"Please." Was all Harry responsed with, in a needy whisper, and Louis chuckled again. 

"Please, what, love?" He asked, in a fakely innocent tone.

"T-Touch me," Harry begged, "M-Make me feel good." 

"Like this?" Louis purred, before beginning to palm Harry, roughly, through his boxers. Harry's head fell back onto the pillow again and he released a choked whimper, trying to restrain himself from freeing one of his hands so he could force Louis' hand down even harder. 

"Fuck yeah," Harry breathed out, lowly. Louis bit his bottom lip, seductively, as he worked his hand over Harry's clothed dick, basking in the reactions and hot noises from Harry.

"G-Grind," Harry pathetically let out, "W-Want you to..."

"You want me to grind on you?" Louis asked. Harry did nothing more than nod. Louis agreed, quickly unbuttoning his own jeans and pulling them off, to the floor. He straddled Harry again, who was struggling now to keep his hands beneath him, but somehow managing to do it.

Louis placed a hand either side of Harry's head on the pillow, to stabilise himself, as he rolled down his hips once against Harry's, so their hardening cocks rubbed against one another through their underwear. 

"Yeah," Harry breathed out, slowly, then he bucked up his hips harshly, only to have Louis pin them down to the mattress. He tutted, disapprovingly, at Harry, with a smirk. Louis kept his hands on Harry's slim waist, before starting to grind down, harder, against Harry.

All Harry was permitted to do at that moment was moan. He couldn't move his hands, nor his hips, but the new, amazing feeling in his lower half was almost unbearably pleasurable.

"Want me to suck your dick, now?" Louis questioned, lowly. Harry nodded, feeling a sheet of sweat coating his body. He didn't want Louis' body to leave his, but it had to in order to complete Harry's preference.

Louis didn't mess around, he pressed a quick but meaningful kiss to Harry's lips before climbing down to his legs. He was speedy to peel Harry's boxers off, so Harry's hard cock hit his stomach, leaking pre-cum.

"Nice," Louis complimented, deeply, before taking it in his hand and licking, delicately over the head, with no sheer warning. Harry's body jolted up at the sudden feeling, as the older boy's tongue got straight to work, slowly circling the tip, and their eyes connected. Harry was trying to subtly buck his hips, which Louis noticed, so he used one hand to pin Harry's left hip down while the other held Harry's dick at the base. 

Louis slowly lowered his mouth around Harry's entire cock, moving downwards until his nose pressed Harry's stomach, without gagging, and Harry actually laughed out a whimper, for some strange reason. 

"Are you sure you've never done this before? Holy shit, you're good." Harry breathed. Louis didn't reply, and instead licked up the underside of Harry's dick, twirling his tongue around the head when he reached it again. He began a rhythm of raising and lowering his head, hollowing his cheeks while using his hand to pump Harry's dick at the base, and Harry was a hot mess.

"Mhmm, that's good," Harry laughed, breathlessly, and he noticed how Louis couldn't help but hold back a small smile. "Sh-Should I return the favour in a second?"

Louis lifted his head, gazing at Harry as though he was a crazy person. 

"Return the favour? That's what I'm doing right now." He said, roughly, voice hoarse. "But now I want you lying on your stomach."

Harry was relieved to release his hands, which were now tingling with pins and needles, and he rolled onto his stomach so that his perky, smooth bum was on display. 

"Fuck, just when I thought your body couldn't get any hotter." Louis purred. Harry was going to respond, but he was cut off by his own startled moan as Louis' hand slapped his bare arse. He buried his face into the pillow, grinding against the mattress as Louis slapped it again, this time a little harder. Even though it left a tingling pain, it was the sort of pain that felt pleasurable, strangely. 

Louis ran his hand down the smooth skin of one side of Harry's arse, nibbling his bottom lip, before using both his hands to spread Harry's arse. Harry's tight, pink hole was displayed to Louis, who looked as though he had gone to heaven and back at how beautiful Harry's body was. 

Without any warning, Louis spat on Harry's hole, so Harry jumped in surprise, and Louis certainly didn't warn Harry as he leant down and licked a thin stripe around Harry's entrance. Harry didn't know quite how to react, but he found himself harshly gripping the bedsheets beneath him as a throaty, high-pitched moan left his lips. 

"You're very vocal." Louis noted, smugly, licking with a flatter tongue over Harry's hole. Harry had slightly lifted his bum up - as he moaned softly - off the mattress, craving the feeling of Louis' cool, wet tongue on him.

Louis spread Harry even more, in order to get his tongue deeper inside, and Harry was trying his hardest not to move back against Louis' tongue. 

Another smack hit Harry's arse, and that along with the feeling of Louis' tongue partway inside him was getting too much to handle. 

"I-I need more," He croaked out, followed by a long, low groan. 

"One second." Louis scrambled over to his bedside table, still heavily breathing, and he pulled out a bottle of lube and a condom from the second drawer down. Seeing these items actually made the situation flash before Harry's eyes: he was well on the way to having sex with Louis Tomlinson. 

"Just prop yourself up on your knees, alright?" Louis requested, softly. Harry did this, quickly, distributing his weight between his knees and forearms, so his bum was stuck in the air.

Louis snapped the lid of the lube open, squirting some onto his fingers, before replacing the lid and throwing the bottle back onto the bed. Harry felt Louis' hand, which was lube-free, stroke delicately up one side of his arse, before spreading it open. 

Harry gasped, harshly, when he felt a wet finger prodding against his hole, and he bit his lower lip.

"This'll hurt a lot less if you relax, baby, okay?" Louis' rough voice was enough to send a shiver through Harry again, but he managed to lessen how tense his muscles were. Gradually, Louis moved his index finger into Harry. 

"Fucking hell, you're tight." Louis commented, breathlessly, as he pushed his finger further in, against the resistance. 

"Ah..." Harry groaned out, in pain, and his face had scrunched up, with eyes closed.

"Relax, relax," Louis reminded, "My first finger's in."

"It hurts," Harry breathed, feeling a discomfort in his body from the intruding finger. 

"You'll get used to it, I promise."

Very, very slowly, Louis pulled the finger out, so just the tip of it remained, and then pushed it back in again. Harry hummed in discomfort, digging his face into his arms and holding his breath. This only made him tense even more. 

"I can only add another if you breathe. Relax." Louis whispered, soothingly. Harry nodded and gulped, sucking in a harsh breath, and Louis squirted some more lube onto his middle finger, just for Harry's comfort. 

"I'm gonna start to add another, alright?" Louis purred, softly. Harry found himself nodding, figuring the bad feeling would soon go away. Louis pressed the tip of the finger to Harry's hole, before pushing it into the tight heat, alongside the other. 

Harry let out a small whimper of pain, but soon got used to the feeling of both fingers, fully inside of him. Actually, the burn soon started to feel nice. Harry pushed back once on Louis' hand, humming out a curious moan, and Louis chuckled, darkly. 

"Getting used to it, then?"

All Harry responsed with was a brief nod. 

"Do you need a third, or do you want to just take my dick?" Louis growled, and Harry moaned in response, so Louis figured he'd prefer the latter option. 

Louis slowly retracted his fingers from Harry's body again, wiping them on the bedsheets - which needed to be washed anyway - and then he quickly took off his own underwear. 

Harry eyed Louis' cock, with a smirk. It was crazy that it was about to be inside of him, but how bad could it be...?

Louis ripped the condom open, rolling it over his length, and Harry lay down on his back so that he was more comfortable. Once the condom was on, Louis lubed himself up before kneeling between Harry's legs, on the bed.

"Hold your knees up to your chest." Louis instructed, quickly. Harry obeyed, hastily, and Louis pressed the head of his dick against Harry's hole. 

"God, I hope I don't hurt you too much. I'll go nice and slow, okay?" Louis reassured. Harry nodded, eyes shut, and his face contorted as Louis very slowly pushed in.

Harry immediately cried out in pain, but Louis soothingly shushed him and leant forwards to kiss him, slowly. He used this to distract Harry while he pushed in a bit more, but Harry's lips stopped moving against Louis', and he whimpered, in agonising pain, against Louis' lips instead. 

"Okay, okay, I know," Louis breathed, "It's alright, baby."

Harry felt as though his entire body was going to split in half. How the hell could this be considered as pleasurable? He wanted it to stop, yet he gave it a chance. 

"Breathe, remember?" Louis helped. Harry nodded, eyes closed, breathing in and out, at a steady pace, as Louis pushed in, even further. He was soon in completely, and Harry couldn't move. He felt so full, and he didn't think he'd ever feel anything but this excruciating pain ever again. 

"W-Why do you have to b-be so big?" Harry breathed, unsteadily, with a hint of humour. 

Louis laughed, breathlessly, "Trust me, Harry, it'll come in handy in a minute."

"Alright, j-just move." Harry choked out. Louis nodded, pulling his hips back until just the head of his cock remained inside Harry, before pushing all the way back in, slowly.

There was a spark in the pit of Harry's stomach; a feeling that conflicted against the pain. It was starting to feel good. To show this, Harry let out a long, low groan as his head fell back onto the pillow. Louis was breathing out an occasional whimper at the feeling of Harry's tight, hot body around his dick. 

He was thrusting into Harry, gently, now. Each movement was soft and loving, and no way did he want to injure the angelic boy beneath him. Harry gripped onto his own legs tighter, as he held them in place, letting out a breathy 'Yeah' with each thrust. 

"You like that?" Louis questioned, lowly, "Does it feel good now?"

"Oh, fuck, yeah." Harry whined out. Louis smirked, continuing to thrust into Harry. He wasn't going as deep as he possibly could, so as not to hurt Harry too much, but what he was already giving to Harry seemed enough at the moment. 

Harry was rolling his hips down against Louis' dick, getting used to the rhythm that the older boy had created, and Louis' head flew back in a throaty moan. Harry loved having Louis above him like that. 

Louis suddenly stopped, causing Harry to frown and let out a disappointed, involuntary moan.

"Lie on your stomach, now," Louis breathed, "Quickly."

Harry released his legs and rolled onto his stomach, sticking his bum into the air and resting his chin on the backs of his hands. Louis quickly entered Harry again, restarting the same pace as before, so that Harry's noises began again. 

"F-Faster," Harry whispered, without even thinking, "Harder."

"Harry, it's your first time, I don't want to hurt you..." Louis said, worriedly. 

"I don't care what time this is, I want you to fuck me as hard and as fast as you fucking can!" Harry yelled, mostly due to impatience, and Louis nodded, giving in. 

"If you're sure you can handle it."

And with that, Louis began thrusting into Harry's slim body with such force and speed that Harry could only gasp. No noise could escape his throat, just breathy gasps, as the sound of skin slapping skin filled the air. 

Finally, the whine Harry let out was high-pitched and overwhelmed, and he actually found himself start to sob as Louis pounded into him. Harry didn't know what it was, but tears escaped his eyes and he was crying into the pillow, along with his moans, at just the sheer thought that Louis was fucking him. Something about that thought caused him to cry, but it was in a joyful way.

"Wow, you sure are taking that dick," Louis chuckled, breathlessly, leaning down to press a soft kiss to Harry's shoulder. He was still fucking Harry at a staggering pace, holding him down by his hips. Harry's dick was grinding down against the bed, only adding to the sensation. 

"I'm... I'm gonna..." Harry warned, but he couldn't finish his sentence before Louis curled up his hips inside Harry, hitting his prostate dead on about five times, and Harry was cumming beneath himself with a cry of Louis' name. It only took Louis four more fast thrusts to have him cumming into the condom, head tipping back and eyes shutting as he groaned, hotly. 

"Holy shit," Harry panted, still lying on his stomach. Louis pulled out and collapsed by his side, peeling the soiled condom off and throwing it into the bin.

He grabbed a tissue from a tissue box on his bedside table, turning Harry over to wipe his stomach off, then the bedsheets. He carelessly tossed the tissue onto the floor, too panting by Harry's side. 

"Goodnight." Louis whispered, flatly, causing Harry to get confused. Louis pulled the duvet cover over them both and leant over, switching off the lamp, leaving the room in a pitch darkness. 

After a silence, Harry asked, sassily, "Are you fucking serious?"

Confused and tired, Louis switched the lamp back on, turning to Harry with squinted eyes. "What the hell do you mean?" He spat, and Harry didn't like the sudden change of attitude. 

"We just made love, Louis Tomlinson, I gave you my fucking virginity, and you're just going to roll over and fall asleep?!"

"What do you want, a fucking trophy?" Louis sassed. 

"We could at least... cuddle." Harry suggested, shyly.

Louis stifled a laugh, "Cuddle?"

Harry was upset by this, more upset for Louis than himself. Louis just wasn't a loving person, it appeared, and that was a sad thing. 

"Yeah... if that's 'committed' enough for you." Harry put up air quotes as he reminded Louis of a past promise he had made. Louis smiled, weakly.

"Okay," He patted the bed in front of him, so Harry crawled over, happily. Louis turned the lamp off again, and Harry felt Louis' arms experimentally wrap around him from behind, as though he never done it before with anyone. 

And that's how they fell asleep: with Louis' face snuggled into Harry's shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, my Internet was down. Plus, on some occasions it takes more than one day to write chapters. This hasn't been edited, so there may be mistakes.


	42. Chapter Forty-Two

Harry was awoken by the morning sunshine streaming in through the window. What reminded him of the new events that took place last night was the aching pain that was coursing through his bum. Louis had been pretty rough with him, and he was now regretting it because he felt like he couldn't function with it. 

Louis' arms were still wrapped around him from behind, causing him to smile. At least Louis hadn't awkwardly moved away in the night, after Harry had fallen asleep. Louis was breathing heavily, evidently still fast asleep, but Harry just wanted to get up. By the looks of things, due to the amount of light outside, it was late morning. Harry absolutely hated sleeping in.

"Louis," He whispered, sharply, very gently nudging his elbow back, into Louis' chest. "Wake up, it's the morning."

Louis groaned, deeply, in a sleepy manner, before burying his face further into Harry's shoulder. Harry giggled as Louis' breathing tickled down his neck.

Louis mumbled something, almost like a slur, and it was done so sleepily that it was unreadable. Harry chuckled again.

"C'mon, Louis, I can't lie here for any longer."

Louis reluctantly let go of Harry, rolling the other way so he was on his back. He stretched and groaned once again, before sleepily sitting up against the headboard, causing the duvet cover to fall down to reveal his bare torso. Harry still couldn't help but blush at the sight, even though he had made love to Louis.

"What's the time?" Louis asked, lowly, voice gravelly due to just being woken up. Harry shrugged, before leaning over the side of the bed and grabbing his jeans from the large pile of all of their clothes. He pulled out his phone from the pocket, quickly unlocking it. 

"It's eleven-thirty, just about." He informed, rubbing his eye with the back of his hand. 

"What?!" Louis exclaimed, in disbelief, "Why the fuck are you waking me up this early?!"

"Woah, it's not even early!" Harry complained, humorously, "I usually get up at, like, eight in the morning on weekends!"

"You must be some sort of fucking superhuman to get up that early. I don't usually bother until at least one in the afternoon." Louis chuckled, before clearing his throat. He suddenly stood up and got out of the bed, completely naked, and Harry stupidly covered his eyes and flushed red. Louis was baffled by this, as he pulled on some clean underwear. 

"Really?" He giggled, now having covered up. "You just slept with me, fully naked, after having sex with me, yet you still get all flustered over seeing me naked?"

"Sorry, it just caught me by surprise, that's all." Harry blushed. Louis stretched his arms out in front of him, causing his shoulder blades to sexily protrude. Harry bit his bottom lip and eyed Louis' body. Damn, Harry was lucky to have him.

"My family are still won't be here until tonight, so you don't have to worry about being in our house," Louis smirked. He quickly dressed in some new, blue jeans and a black t-shirt, before turning back to Harry. 

"I'm going to head downstairs, okay? I'll let you get dressed... in your clothes from yesterday..." Louis trailed off, unsurely. "Actually, I'll give you some clean ones to wear. I'm not that mean."

He rummaged through his drawers, picking out some grey, baggy sweatpants, a plain white t-shirt and some clean underwear. He chucked the pile of clothes at Harry. 

"There you go, keep them." Louis winked, cheekily.

"Wait, really?" Harry gasped. 

"They're only clothes, you can have them," Louis giggled, "I'll be downstairs when you're changed." And with that, Louis left the room, shutting the door behind him. Harry was happy. He was thrilled. No, not at the new clothes, but at the fact that Louis was being loyal and committed. He wasn't just booting Harry out of his house because it was the next morning, and that meant a lot to Harry. 

While still sat on the bed, he dressed quickly in Louis' clothes, which smelt of his sweet, addictive smell. They fitted, just about, but were a tiny bit big on his slim body. He scooted to the side of Louis' bed when dressed and unlocked his phone again. He only now noticed that he had 5 missed calls from Gemma, along with 3 new texts - which had all been sent late last night. 

**Gemma:** Are you coming home soon? Mum's worrying now. She thinks you've been murdered or something. 

**Gemma:** Or are you not coming home tonight? ;)

 **Gemma:** I'm guessing you're not. Tell me EVERYTHING when you get home!!! ;)

Harry rolled his eyes and laughed, quietly, to himself. Trust Gemma to want to know every single tiny detail about what went down. Harry wasn't going to spill the beans on anything just yet, because he felt awkward to. It was personal, not the basis of a story for his sister.

Harry stood up, immediately wincing and having to steady himself against the wall. The agonising pain in his backside only increased when he got to his feet, and taking his first step was even worse. It was excruciating. 

He managed to get himself down the stairs, quietly, and he looked lost as he stood in the hallway. There were so many doors, yet he didn't know where any of them led. He listened carefully, however, when he heard chattering from behind the door on the far left. 

"I know, babe, I know," Louis breathed, with a giggle, "I'll see you soon, okay? Bye."

Harry felt his stomach drop. Who was Louis talking to? He was clearly on the phone, but who the hell to? Who was worthy of being called 'Babe'?

Harry wanted to barge in there and hurl questions at Louis, but he didn't. He left a good twenty seconds before hobbling in there, with a fake smile -- which was pretty believable.

Louis was leaning against the counter, smiling as he scrolled through his phone. His eyes lifted when he acknowledged Harry's presence in the room.

"You're limping," He noted, "I'm so sorry, I was too rough, considering it was your first time and all..."

"I asked for it, remember?" Harry reminded, before he felt his face heat up. This was due to the smirk that was now on Louis' face. Harry didn't know what to think. He wanted to be angry at Louis for talking to this 'Babe' of his over the phone, yet he wanted to flirt with Louis and laugh with Louis and have a fun time with Louis...

"Are you alright? You're just... kinda staring at me." Louis waved, breaking Harry from his daze. 

"Sorry," Harry cleared his throat, "I was just, umm, daydreaming. Sorry."

"It's alright," He smiled, stuffing his phone into his pocket. Harry didn't mean to, but he let the next sentence fall from his lips.

"What were you doing before I came in here?" He questioned, weakly. "You were just leaning against the kitchen counter. I thought you'd be sat on the sofa in the other room, or something."

Louis visibly gulped. "I was just, umm, texting my mum." 

Harry wanted to scream: "Wow, Louis Tomlinson. Texting your fucking mum? No, you were on the phone to someone who deserved the title of 'Babe'!" but that wouldn't particularly end well. He was far too scared to confront Louis about it right now.

"Oh," He smiled, "Okay."

"Anyway," Louis swiftly changed the subject, "Do your family know you're out with me? Or, well... that you stayed over?"

"Well, Gemma knows," Harry said, sternly, "But I'm not sure whether my mum does."

"Oh, alright," Louis nodded, then his phone started ringing in his pocket. He pulled it out quickly, but turned it hastily away from Harry's view. 

"Who is it?" Harry pushed, sassily. 

"Oh, it's just my mum again." Louis breathed, rolling his eyes. "I'll just... decline that." He stuffed his phone back into his pocket. Harry gave the best unconvinced nod that he could. 

"Do you want any breakfast?" Louis asked, suddenly, opening a cupboard on his left.

"Yeah, that'd be nice... even though it'll almost be considered as lunch by now." Harry smirked, eyeing the clock on the kitchen wall to see that it was ten minutes to noon. 

"What do you want to eat?" Louis asked. It was a pretty blunt question.

"Toast would be fine."

Louis nodded, grabbing a couple of slices of bread from the loaf in  the bread bin, popping them into the toaster. While the toast was cooking, there was an awkward silence, so Louis decided to start rattling his fingernails on the kitchen surface to make some sort of noise. 

"So, school tomorrow," He commented, clearly in boredom, "Let's hope you don't have to go in on crutches." He smirked. 

"Ha, ha, very funny," Harry giggled, rolling his eyes. There was another awkward silence, until Harry broke it this time.

"Are we in a relationship now?"

Louis tensed, just as the toast popped up, and Harry could tell that his question was especially difficult for someone like Louis. 

"Umm, I-I guess so?"

"You don't sound very enthusiastic about it."

"It's all a bit... sudden."

"Sudden?" Harry exclaimed, "We fucked... no, scrap that, we made love! How's it sudden?!"

"Alright, alright, calm down," Louis soothed, "We're together, okay? It's not sudden, it's not a bad thing and I will be enthusiastic! I promise!" Louis leant forwards and wrapped Harry into a cuddle, before pressing a soft kiss to his lips. 

Harry's first proper relationship. Oh God! He wouldn't have considered his time with Alex as a proper relationship, more an experiment, but this was real.

Well... it'd seem far more real if Harry knew who Louis was on the phone to before he arrived.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooooh. Thoughts? (Lol, 61616 words in the story now. Don't ask why I'm so amused by this).


	43. Chapter Forty-Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unedited. Sorry if there are errors.

Harry entered his house, after getting dropped off by Louis, at around half past three in the afternoon. His mum's car wasn't in the driveway, so Harry was guessing she was at work, but that didn't mean Gemma was out. Harry found out the hard way when he went into the living room. 

"Harry! You're home!" She exclaimed, gleefully, running over and wrapping her brother in a hug. Harry laughed, pulling away, and noticed Gemma's eyes were more interested in something else, other than Harry's own.

"What's this, then?" She smirked, pointing at the lovebite, which was between Harry's neck and collar bone. Harry flushed red and took a step back from her, before wincing at the pain in his bum again. Her eyebrows raised even more. 

"Oh my God, was he fucking rough with you?!" Gemma raged, instantly catching on. Harry frantically shook his head.

"No, no!" He reassured - lying, of course, - "I just didn't tolerate it at first... he was really gentle, I promise."

Gemma nodded, sternly. "Well, he better have been. Unless he wants a slap round the face!"

"Okay, I get it." Harry breathed. He knew Gemma was just looking out for him, as older siblings should, but it sometimes got too much. Harry could handle some things himself, without her butting in.

"I'm gonna head upstairs. I've got some, umm, homework that needs doing for tomorrow." Harry stalled, heading very unstably out of the room. Gemma said nothing more, as Harry headed up the stairs, to his bedroom. 

The fact that Gemma threatened to hurt Louis if he hurt Harry was partly comforting, but also slightly unnerving. Harry didn't know what it was entirely, but the situation made him think Gemma didn't trust Louis. It made him feel as though she expected Louis to be disloyal, which was pretty ridiculous. Of course, Harry had experienced their disputes and fights, but they were past that now. Harry would just have to test Louis now, just too see whether he'd stay loyal.

\- - -

 **Alex:** I miss you. Thought you'd come back, but I guess you didn't need me anymore. Are you still fucking around with Louis?

Harry slammed his phone down in surprise. With all of the drama happening lately, he had almost completely forgotten about Alex. It made him want to laugh at how Alex had overestimated himself for expecting Harry to come crawling back into his arms, but Harry had Louis now -- even though he was still unsure he was the **only** person who had Louis, regarding the conversation he had accidently eavesdropped on earlier that day.

Harry didn't want to, but he found himself replying to Alex's text. 

**Harry:** Miss me? Pfft, you mean miss the chance you had of getting me to sleep with you! And what's it to you, with me and Louis? That's none of your business.

At least he hadn't caved in and felt bad for Alex. He just wanted Alex to know that he wasn't going to get away with using Harry. 

**Alex:** God dammit, Harry, you think you're so fucking smart. I'll have you know, I care because I know Tomlinson is a piece of crap! He wouldn't care about you if you saved his fucking life! I bet he's already managed to fuck you, hasn't he? Don't lie to yourself, because I know the answer. Do you know what else I've found out about Louis' life? I heard he's having a bit of trouble with money. Boo-hoo, poor little twat. I wouldn't be surprised if you're the only chance of help he's got, Harry. He's a dull spark, and you're a fucking forest fire in an aspect of intelligence, and I don't even know how such a dumb fuck can stand a chance with someone like you.

Fucking hell, that was a long text. There were so many things running through Harry's mind at that point. Alex was acting as though this was all a predictive drama. He was the viewer, Harry and Louis were the actors. How did Alex know Louis had already slept with Harry? And worst of all, how the heck did he find out about the horrible situation with Ben?

Harry didn't know what to say or do anymore. He wanted to text Louis, but there wasn't much to say to him. He couldn't exactly pop up in Louis' texts with: "Are you using me?" or: "Alex knows about Ben."

Harry decided to put down his phone. He was shocked with himself for not deleting Alex's number or blocking him, but something inside him told him not to.

Besides, maybe Alex was like a fortune teller: able to predict Harry's future with Louis. 

\- - -

School seemed quiet the next day. It was probably due to it being a gloomy Monday morning, or maybe Harry was reflecting his own inner mood onto his perspective of the school. 

He had gotten better over night, and was no longer limping. The pain was still there, although it was very dull. Harry was wearing a tight t-shirt that covered his collar bones, just to make sure he wasn't the centre of attention if someone were to see the lovebite - which was still reasonably visible for two days old. Harry had no experience with lovebites, but he was guessing it'd be there for quite a while. 

"Hey, Loverboy, how did your date go?" Niall asked, suddenly, popping up from behind Harry. 

Harry wildly shushed him, glancing around quickly. "Shut up, Niall! Louis will hear you, and you're not supposed to know, remember?!" Harry whispered, angrily. 

"Fucking hell, sorry!" Niall rolled his eyes. "Who is he, big brother? Has he got fucking cameras around the school, Harry? You know he's not even around here right now."

"Alright, calm down, I was just being cautious," Harry interjected, stuffing his shoe. "It went well, thanks for asking."

"Great to hear, man!" Niall smiled, patting Harry's back, hard. "I thought Louis was too much of a manwhore to actually take you out on a date!"

Harry immediately felt angry at Niall's judgement. Along with Alex, Niall was the second person to call Louis that awful name.

"He's not a manwhore! What's wrong with you?!" Harry snapped. "He may have messed around with girls before, but he's faithful now! I know he is!" Harry wanted to believe his own words, he really did, but even he was slightly in denial. 

"Harry, mate, I'm just watching out for you." Niall convinced. "Hannah's told me in the past that Louis was involved with several other girls while he was with her, and I don't fail to believe that at all. One person isn't enough for Louis, and that's how it'll always be. I've known him longer than you have, remember?"

"I don't give a fuck, Niall! I-I know he's only with me! H-He wouldn't do that, he wouldn't cheat!" Harry yelled, feeling on the verge of tears. Not out of sadness, but just from being overwhelmed. Niall was the second person to say Louis was bad, and the phone call earlier only went to prove that Niall's judgement might have just been true.

"Hey, what're you two yelling about?" Perrie's voice rang out. "You two just love to argue, don't you?"

"It's nothing." Harry breathed, waving her off. "I'm just tired. Cranky." And with that, he walked off, towards class.


	44. Chapter Forty-Four

"Hello, Lou," Harry greeted, cheerfully, when Louis had shown up to class, around ten minutes late. 

"Hi." He said, flatly, throwing his bag under his table as he took a seat by Harry's side.

"How are you?" Harry whispered, after Mr Gordon had harshly shushed him. Louis lightly shook his head in response, looking down at the tabletop. "Louis...?"

"I'm out of time." Louis breathed, weakly. "Ben wants that money today. Or else."

"Shit..." Harry cursed. He had completely forgotten that today was the deadline for Louis returning that money, and he dreaded to think what Ben was going to do once he found out. "Well... do you have any money at all?"

"One-hundred and fifty pounds. That's all I could get." Louis frowned, sounding utterly defeated. 

"Can't you just not meet up with him to give it back? Stay home and lock your doors?"

"Are you stupid?" Louis snapped, "I can't just hide away in my house until he leaves me alone! I don't know if you've realised, Harry Styles, but he'll never let me get away with that money!"

"Boys, is there something worth sharing with the class? There must be if you think it's more important than your education." Mr Gordon stopped the lesson to snarl. Everybody turned in their seats to stare at Harry and Louis, waiting for a response. 

"N-No, Sir. Sorry." Harry stuttered, trying to ignore the hard glare from Niall. 

"I suggest you stop talking, then." Mr Gordon demanded, before going back to teaching. Harry and Louis exchanged looks, before rolling their eyes. 

\- - -

 **Harry:** Please tell me you're not going there alone. Why don't you bring your mum or another adult? .x

 **Louis:** Harry, I'm not a fucking baby. I can handle it myself, without my mum being there to hold my hand. x

 **Harry:** I just want you to know that this isn't one of those situations where you have to prove your power by going alone. Who knows what Ben will do? .x

 **Louis:** I'll talk to him and sort it out. I'll see you tomorrow. x

Harry was just worried sick. He had experienced how spiteful Ben was when he had approached he and Louis, so God knows how angry he'd be when he found out that Louis only had a tiny fraction of his money. 

It was just time to sit and wait, while hoping Louis would convince Ben to remain calm. 

\- - -

Harry was panicking when he arrived at school the next day. Louis wasn't in class, not even after fifteen minutes. Harry's mind immediately quickfired inner thoughts to himself. What if Louis had been murdered? Oh God, Harry didn't want to seem over-dramatic, but it seemed possible! 

When Louis did walk in, almost forty minutes late, the whole class silenced and stared. Louis had a horribly bruised cheek and cut lip.

"Oh my God," Harry breathed, as Louis took a seat, slowly. He was looking down, as everyone's eyes were still on him. "Louis... what the hell happened?" Harry whispered.

"Don't talk to me," Louis breathed, angrily. 

"Louis, c'mon, please." Harry begged, but Louis simply turned away from Harry and ignored him. Evidently, Ben wasn't happy that Louis hadn't returned his money, and had resulted in hurting the poor boy. Harry felt like he could have helped, but even someone as strong as Louis had been injured. Ben was a danger. 

"Stop. I'm fine," Louis insisted, bluntly, "He didn't hurt me."

"Clearly he did, Louis... look at you-"

"Shut the fuck up, I'm fine!" Louis whispered, furiously. Woah, feisty.

"I don't mind skiving off of school after this lesson if you want to come to my house, and I can help you. I can tell that's pretty painful, Louis. I care about you."

Louis hesitated for a couple of moments, before sighing in defeat and nodding. "Fine, just as long as we don't have to come back here again afterwards."

"Deal," Harry smiled, softly, "My mum's at work and Gemma's at her part time job. You don't have to worry about being questioned by them."

The minute the lesson ended, Harry and Louis headed towards the school's exit. They made sure no teachers were watching, before leaving altogether and strolling along the street. 

"Oh, wait, isn't your car still in the car park?" Harry queried, in realisation. 

"No, my mum dropped me off." Louis informed, sternly, stuffing his hands into his pockets. They walked in silence the entire way to Harry's, although it wasn't completely soundless because there were occasional cars passing by, and other people walking around the streets. 

Harry unlocked his front door with his key, letting he and Louis in before shutting it behind them. They wandered into the living room, and Louis took an awkward seat on the comfortable leather sofa. 

"Wait here, I'll be right back." Harry smiled, heading into the kitchen. He retrieved an ice pack from the freezer, a bottle of home remedy hydrogen peroxide, along with a clean, wet cloth, and a dry, soft flannel. He went back into the living room, where Louis was sat. 

"Put this on your cheek, it looks painful." Harry instructed, handing Louis the ice pack. Louis did this, wincing slightly at both the pain of the bruise coming into contact with something, and the coldness of the ice pack itself.   
"When did he do this?" Harry questioned, "What time?"

"Around four o'clock this morning." Louis piped. 

"Oh. Okay." Harry nodded, resting forwards and gently dabbing over Louis' swollen lip with the wet flannel. Louis inhaled, sharply, tensing. 

"Okay, I've cut my lip before and my mum always puts some of this stuff on it," Harry told him, holding up the small bottle of hydrogen peroxide, "I won't lie, it'll sting like hell, but it'll help ease the swelling. I promise."

Louis nodded, suspiciously, as he eyed the bottle. Harry screwed off the lid of the bottle and tipped a very small amount of the substance onto the cloth, before putting the lid back on.

"Just relax, it won't feel so bad soon." Harry breathed, before trying not to blush at the personal reminder of when Louis said this sort of phrase to him before they had sex. Louis gulped and nodded, squeezing his eyes shut and gritting his teeth inside his mouth. Harry very gently dabbed the solution onto Louis' wounded lip, and Louis yelled in pain.

"Oww! Fuck, Harry!"

"Sorry, sorry! I'm sorry, Louis!" Harry apologised, frantically. 

"It's fine," Louis gritted, "It-It will help, so it's worth the pain."

Harry firmly pressed the soft, dry flannel against the cut, finally, just to apply pressure and stop any further bleeding. 

Louis yawned next, trying hard not to touch the painful part of his lip as he covered his mouth, politely. 

"Did you not get any sleep last night, then?" Harry giggled.

"Nope," Louis laughed, popping the 'p', "Not a single bit."

"You can sleep on the sofa for a little while, if that'd help," Harry offered, "I could grab a blanket for you."

"I'm not an old man who needs mid-morning naps." Louis smirked, in protest. 

"Seeing as you usually sleep in until one p.m., I think some sleep would be a good idea for you right now." Harry smirked back.

"Only if you don't mind."

"Of course not! I'll just put the TV on, quietly." Harry smiled, getting up and opening the cupboard to grab a soft blanket. He threw it at Louis, before taking the cloth and hydrogen peroxide back to the kitchen. When he returned, Louis was already lying across the entire two-seater sofa, with his injured cheek against the ice pack and the blanket tightly wrapped around himself. 

Harry laughed, quietly, because Louis' eyes were already shut. He obviously needed the sleep. Harry watched the television at a very low volume, putting the subtitles on so he could understand what was happening in the programme. 

By fifteen minutes later, Louis was heavily breathing, fast asleep. Harry couldn't help but glance at Louis because he just looked so vulnerable when he was asleep. His face softened and he lost that badboy aura that he always seemed to possess. 

Louis' phone, which he had earlier placed on the coffee table, buzzed a couple of times against the glass. Harry's eyes flicked from Louis' fast asleep self to the phone, before reaching out and scooping it up -- while making sure every now and again Louis wasn't going to wake up, suddenly. Curiosity got the best of him.

 **Lucy:** back from my dad's house now. call me when you get this, babe♡xxxxx

Okay... what the fuck? Who the fuck was Lucy? Harry felt as though his heart tore in half. It had been confirmed now: Louis was cheating on him. But then again, it got Harry's mind thinking... what if Louis was actually just cheating mainly on Lucy? What if he'd been with Lucy before he and Harry started feeling mutual things? 

Harry badly wanted to run upstairs and phone this girl from Louis' phone, but he knew it'd be too risky right now. Instead, he scribbled Lucy's number down onto his hand, just so he could interrogate later. 

\- - -

Later that night, Louis had gone. Harry didn't question him at all about the situation, knowing Louis would get frustrated, maybe even violent, and that wouldn't be good. Harry just wanted to take the easier approach of testing Louis, without him knowing. 

**Harry:** Do you love me? .x

He waited quite a while for a reply.

 **Louis:** of course... why? x

 **Harry:** What's your definition of love, then? .x

 **Louis:** Harry, what are you on about? x

 **Harry:** Please answer my question, Louis .x

 **Louis:** well, I guess... you know that feeling of butterflies you get in your stomach from just the thought of that person... and you just feel like you're so emotionally attached to them as a person that there's no escape from it, and it's an amazing feeling. I can't exactly explain it any better myself. x

Harry felt his stomach flip at Louis' thoughtful explanation. He was expecting something blunt, like: " love is when two people are together", but now Louis had come out with that. Harry couldn't steer off-course now, though, because he had to figure out what was going on. 

**Harry:** Do you think it's possible to feel that way towards two people at once? .x

There was a more delayed reply this time. 

**Louis:** Why are you asking that? Are you cheating on me or something...? :( x

Harry felt like laughing up the contents of his stomach. Louis was acting so hurt by this, even though he was blatantly the one cheating! What a dickhead!

 **Harry:** I'm not. Are you?

 **Louis:** Why are you accusing me of cheating?!

 **Harry:** You'd be denying it if you weren't. 

**Louis:** You're seriously suggesting right now that I am cheating on you? What the fuck! I wouldn't do that, Harry!

 **Harry:** THEN WHO'S LUCY?!

Harry's plan had backfired. He wanted to just secretly ask Louis, without him catching on, but things had just erupted. He regretted it now.

 **Louis:** WHAT THE FUCK, WERE YOU GOING ON MY PHONE WITHOUT ME KNOWING?!

 **Harry:** IT'S KIND OF HARD NOT TO WHEN THE FUCKING NAME LUCY FLASHES UP ON YOUR PHONE WITH A TON OF KISSES! 

**Louis:** We'll talk tomorrow. 

And that was that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the cliffhanger, haha


	45. Chapter Forty-Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not edited. Sorry if there are a load of errorsssss.

"Are you going to say anything, Louis, or are you just trying to think of an excuse?" Harry snapped, crossing his arms as he leant against the bricks of the maths block building. It was lunchtime, and Louis had only just turned up for school. Harry was surprised he even turned up in the first place. 

Louis sighed, loudly, into the silence. He looked up, eyes connecting with an annoyed, impatient Harry. 

"I'm sorry," Was all he could utter. Harry felt like he lost all hope. He was expecting an explanation for the whole cheating situation, but all he got was a mere apology.

"How long have you two been involved with each other?" Harry asked, unstably, feeling like his voice was going to crack. 

"I got her number about a week before you and I went on a date."

"So... I-I'm guessing you're already gonna dump me, now." Harry breathed out, on the verge of crying now. He couldn't believe this bullshit, and he wasn't sure he'd ever be able to handle it.

Louis said nothing. 

"That's it then. I knew Alex was right: you were just using me for sex." Harry regretted these words the second they left his mouth, because as quick as possible, Louis grabbed him by the neck and slammed him against the brick wall. Harry's eyes were wide and his breath was hitching, as Louis' hand constricted his neck, slowly. 

He tried to fight from Louis' grip, but it was impossible. Louis brought his face close to Harry's ear. 

"Don't fucking say that." He threatened, leaving a pause between each word for emphasis. Harry was trying to speak, trying to say anything, but all his words were cut off. 

"L-L-Louis..." He managed to choke out. 

"I care about you," Louis breathed, firmly, "I'd die for you, d'you know that?"

"Th-Then get off..." Harry gasped out. Louis did so immediately, so Harry sucked in a harsh breath. He backed away from Louis, holding his hands up in defence. 

"I-I don't know what got into me... I'm sorry, Harry, I didn't mean to hurt you."

Harry was shakily crying. "W-Why do I have to go through this? Why c-can't our relationship just be n-normal?" 

Louis' face softened, and he held his reach out towards Harry's shoulder. 

"N-No." Harry said, flatly. "Don't touch me."

"Harry, c'mon, I'll delete Lucy's number! I don't love her, I love you!" Louis begged. Harry's eyes flicked from Louis' face to the outline of his phone in his pocket. 

"Go on, then."

It was like Louis wasn't expecting Harry to agree to it, because he looked as though he was panicking. Louis Tomlinson's relationship partners was being reduced to just one. He swallowed as he pulled out his phone. 

Louis held the screen up in Harry's vision, scrolling through his contacts to the letter L. Harry tried to ignore the fact that most of Louis' contacts in his phone were girls names. Was Lucy definitely the girl Louis was talking to on the phone, or was there more than two girls involved? 

Louis blocked Lucy's number, before deleting the contact altogether. 

"Is she the only one?" Harry asked, unsurely. 

"Yes! What the fuck do you take me for?!" Louis raged. 

"Okay, okay!" Harry surrendered. "I just don't know if I can completely trust you yet."

"That's understandable." Louis said, surprising Harry. "I've been a real dick, and I'm sorry. I think I just need to get my head around being in a committed relationship, y'know? I sort of taught myself before that messing around with loads of people was the right thing to do, and I hate myself for ever thinking that."

"Wow... at least you admitted it to yourself, Louis." Harry smiled. "You'll soon find that it's not all that bad being stuck with just one person." He smirked. 

"Well, you're pretty cute, I guess," Louis chuckled, with a smirk, stroking Harry's cheek, delicately, "And pretty fucking hot, too." He trailed his hand down Harry's chest, then his hip, causing Harry to become flustered all of a sudden. It was like Louis knew he had this effect on Harry, because he bit his bottom lip and laughed, darkly.

\- - -

 **Alex:** How's life now, Harry Styles? Broken up with Tomlinson yet? ;)

 **Harry:** Why can't you stay out of my life? It's absolutely none of your business. You're just jealous of him.

No, Harry didn't want to sound big-headed when he said this, but it was pretty obvious that Alex wanted him back.

 **Alex:** So what if I am jealous? Louis doesn't deserve somebody as perfect as you. I'd be treating you so well now if I had you. 

**Harry:** Louis is treating me well. 

This was halfway to being a lie. In a way, it was true, but in another, Louis had sort of been caught cheating on him. If Louis hadn't been caught, would he have continued without feeling bad at all?

 **Alex:** Is he, though? If he's fucking you, is he fucking you really well? 

**Harry:** Why the fuck must you link everything back to sex? It's pretty rude how you're butting in on our lives. 

**Alex:** I bet I could fuck you better. 

Harry literally laughed aloud. 

**Harry:** Hahaha, keep telling yourself that.

 **Alex:** Give me a chance and I will. 

**Harry:** Keep dreaming. You're getting nowhere near me.

And with that, Harry closed his texts with Alex. He was kind of glad Alex wasn't trying to accurately predict their future again, because that creeped Harry out. 

\- - -

 **Niall:** has he admitted 2 cheating on u yet ?

Eurgh, couldn't people just leave Harry alone for just one evening? It would be nice to relax without having the hassle of replying to texts. 

**Harry:** I'm not going to lie to you, yes. He admitted it, but he said he promises to be committed from now. 

**Niall:** U know, thats what he promised hannah. he broke that fast enough. 

**Harry:** It's up to me who I choose to be with. 

**Niall:** all im trying to warn you about is that hes already lost zayn and liam, sort of because of u. if he wants them both back, maybe he will have to lose u.

This was a strange observation from Niall because Louis hadn't even mentioned anything about Zayn or Liam lately. Unless he was secretly missing them, he seemed pretty content at the moment with just Harry. It made Harry feel quite special, considering Liam and Zayn were Louis' childhood best friends, and he was sacrificing that friendship in order to see Harry. 

Maybe Louis was more considerate than Harry thought.


	46. Chapter Forty-Six

When Hannah passed Harry and Louis in the hallway, the first thing Harry noticed was that she looked annoyed. It probably hurt her to see Louis with another boy, even though Louis had no idea Hannah knew about their date. The next thing Harry noticed, however, was the sickly fake smile Hannah put on as she approached the duo.

"Hey, Guys!" She greeted, over-enthusiastically, "How are you both?"

"Umm... good, thanks." Louis replied, lifelessly. He probably just thought Hannah was approaching them to mindlessly flirt with him, as always, but Harry could tell she was too jealous just to do that. She needed to do something spiteful.

"So, your date," She addressed, in a sing-song tone, "How did that turn out?"

Louis' face paled, while Harry tensed up and shot Hannah a 'why-the-fuck-did-you-tell-him-you-fucking-idiot!' look. Louis was speechless, turning to Harry with a hard stare. 

"I, umm... what're you talking about?" Harry played it off, stupidly, trying to non-verbally tell Hannah to play it off with him by raising his eyebrows at her.

"Your date," She said, sternly, "Y'know, the one you told me you two were going on?"

Harry wished he could suddenly magic up a gun from his pocket, with which he could shoot Hannah in the head. It was so blatantly obvious that she just wanted to make things difficult for Harry and Louis. She was probably hoping she'd have Louis back, then. 

Louis still hadn't made a single input. He was just glaring at Harry, as if awaiting an explanation. 

"I'm sorry, Louis, I only meant to tell Niall at first, over the phone, but Hannah and Perrie were with him and they found out!" Harry explained, pleadingly.

"I didn't fucking want anybody knowing! I don't care if that Irish prick wanted to know or not, because it was supposed to be kept between us!" Louis argued, in whisper. "How am I supposed to trust you now?"

"I could say the same for you." Harry muttered under his breath, referring to the fact that Louis had cheated on him, and Louis instantly picked up on this. He sighed, deeply, all while Hannah witnessed their argument with wide eyes.

"I knew you'd have to bring that up. You're always going to use that against me, now, aren't you?" Louis droned, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms. 

"Use what against you?" Hannah asked, nosily.

"None of your business!" Both Harry and Louis snapped at the same time, causing Hannah to take a wary step back. 

"Alright, alright! Jesus! You two need to learn not to argue, or this relationship of yours will cease to exist!" She growled, turning away. 

"You're gonna keep all of this a secret!" Louis insisted, angrily. 

"Whatever, I will." Hannah sighed, waving them off with a hand as she walked away. 

"Great!" Louis exclaimed, sarcastically, "Three people know. Friendly reminder that these three people are the ones who have continuously ditched you on multiple occasions! How are you certain you can trust them?"

"Because, Louis, they're my friends. We may have our ups and downs, but at the end of the day, we make up. I don't think they'd do anything horrible, like expose us."

"Okay, listen, I don't want to argue again, so I'm just going to let you win this one." Louis breathed, with weak smile. "I'll take your word for it, for now."

"Thanks, Louis. If they ever tell anybody, you have my sincere permission to knock me out." Harry joked. 

"Really?" Louis smirked. 

"No, not really!" Harry yelled, with a giggle. 

"You're obviously not very confident with this, then, if you're scared." Louis identified.

"Oh, shut up. Let's get to class."

\- - -

 **Louis:** But WHY are you tiiired? :( x

 **Harry:** Because it's half past midnight and I need my beauty sleep .x

 **Louis:** You're already beautiful enough x

 **Harry:** Are you using flattery to try and keep me awake? Oh, Mr Tomlinson, you are a charmer! .x

 **Louis:** Please just talk to me for a while? I'm not tired and I hate being awake on my own :( x

Harry sighed, knowing he'd have to give in - being his kind self. Even though his eyelids were drooping and his mind was clearing and accessing sleep mode, he chose to stay up and talk to Louis. 

**Harry:** Fine. But only because you said I'm beautiful .x

 **Louis:** So can I get absolutely anything I want if I call you beautiful? ;) x

 **Harry:** No .x

 **Louis:** Why not? Not even an tiiiiiny favour? x

 **Harry:** Wait, I didn't know you actually had something in mind ...x

 **Louis:** It's just.. the later it gets, the hornier I get, and it's already half 12 at night ;) x

 **Harry:** Sooo? .x

 **Louis:** I'd just find it really hot, my beautiful Harry, if we could dirty talk a little? x

Wow, way to put it easy, Louis. Harry immediately felt himself blushing, having never "sexted" before. Yeah, he had sex with Louis, but that didn't require overly expressive explanations of what he wanted to do to Louis, etc. He knew he'd just make a complete fool out of himself, and sound like an idiot. 

**Harry:** It would be more comedic than hot if I were to attempt to talk dirty, believe me! .x

 **Louis:** C'mon, Hazza! I won't judge you ;) x

"Hazza". That was the sort of thing Harry's mum called him when he was ten, yet it was adorable when Louis used it.

 **Harry:** I wouldn't even know how to start! .x

 **Louis:** Okay, umm... what are you wearing right now? x

 **Harry:** Underwear .x

 **Louis:** That's it? x

 **Harry:** Yes, unless I have an invisible winter coat on that I am oblivious to .x

 **Louis:** Shut up! You're supposed to ask me back x

 **Harry:** Okay: Yes, just my underwear. What about you? .x

 **Louis:** This just seems way too scripted now. Okay, I just want you to get in the mood a bit, and don't be ashamed of what you say. I'm not gonna laugh at you, babe x

 **Harry:** Alright. What are you wearing, baby? .x

 **Louis:** (Better). Just my underwear, too. Are you touching yourself? x

They were only a tiny fraction of the way into the "sexting" process, yet Harry was already blushing to himself. He was not touching himself, nor did he intend to, at that point in time. He hadn't really done it too much before, just when he was curious, and he was normally too tired or busy most of the time.

 **Harry:** I'm not, no. Are you, though? ;) .x

 **Louis:** Yeah x

Harry bit his bottom lip and smirked to himself. He was getting more into this now that he knew Louis wasn't going to make fun of him for saying what he felt like. 

**Harry:** Getting nice and hard? .x

Harry was suddenly thinking of things to say that he'd never have even thought a mind like his would think up. He was obviously getting more comfortable about talking to Louis in such an intimate way.

 **Louis:** Fuck yeah, I already am hard, baby x

 **Harry:** Yeah? Wish I was there to help you out with that .x

 **Louis:** Are you touching yourself yet? x

Louis was persistent to get Harry to masturbate, clearly. It didn't feel so weird to do, now, to Harry, seeing as he was sort of in the mood, so he did as Louis insisted and slipped his hand into his underwear. 

**Harry:** Yeah .x

 **Louis:** Oh my God, that's so hot x

 **Harry:** Bet you wish you were here to see it .x

Harry slid his hand up his length, lightly bucking up into his hand as he felt himself hardening already. 

**Louis:** Definitely. Can I let you in on a little secret? x

 **Harry:** Go ahead x

 **Louis:** I've always found the thought of you fingering yourself really hot. I don't care if that's not what you're doing now, but I just had to say. x

Harry remembered back to the few times in the past where Louis would bring the topic of Harry fingering himself up. So all along, it was because he found it hot, even when Harry thought Louis was just saying it to humiliate him.

 **Harry:** I figured, from how often you brought it up .x

 **Louis:** Shit. Busted. x

Harry chuckled, lightly. Never in his life had he ever attempted to finger himself. It was uncomfortable enough at first when Louis did it for him. 

**Harry:** You acted like such a homophobic dick, yet you've always been undeniably gay. I find that amusing .x

 **Louis:** This is supposed to be talking dirty, not bringing up Louis' treacherous past! :( x

 **Harry:** Alright, I'm sorry! Umm... how hard are you now? .x

Harry felt so stupid for asking this. Louis wasn't just going to reply with something legitimate, like: "I'd say around 79%."

 **Louis:** Wanna see? ;) x

Or there was that response. Of course Harry wanted to fucking see. 

**Harry:** Fuck yes .x

And the next thing he knew, he had received a picture message of Louis' long, completely hard cock, in the light of a bedside lamp, along with his tanned, toned and smooth stomach. The sheer reminder of Louis' amazing body only caused Harry to move his hand up and down his dick faster, so his breathing sped up, and he was typing back, shakily, with one hand. 

**Harry:** I want you inside me again .x

God, that was so true right now. 

**Louis:** I'm sure we could arrange that. Now how about a photo from you? x

 **Harry:** Oh... well, I don't want you sending or showing it to anyone else... Okay? .x

 **Louis:** Okay. I promise I won't. x

Harry snapped a picture of his own dick, getting his face in it, in which he looked rather hot, if he should say so himself. His hair was sexily messy and his plump lips were parted. He pressed send, quite hesitantly. It was nothing Louis hadn't seen before, anyway.

 **Louis:** Fuuuck, you don't even understand how hot you look in this. My goddd x

Harry felt the urge to blush once again. 

**Harry:** Stop, you're gonna make me blush! .x

 **Louis:** And you're gonna make me cum x

 **Harry:** Are you gonna cum for me? .x

 **Louis:** Yeah, yeah I am... x

 **Harry:** How close are you? .x

 **Louis:** so close already x

 **Louis:** Hazza, can I have a picture of your arse? 

**Louis:** Quick, please? 

Harry quickly got his phone's camera up, rolling onto his stomach and snapping a perfect shot of his smooth, perky bum, as he bit his lip and smirked towards the camera. He pressed send.

Louis didn't reply until two or three minutes later. 

**Louis:** Yeah... I came. Thanks baby. How about you go and get rid of your boner while I go to sleep? ;) x

 **Harry:** Twat x

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure about this chapter... :/ Sorry I couldn't double update.


	47. Chapter Forty-Seven

Harry woke up happy. He got dressed happy. He started walking to school happy. He didn't know what fully triggered the sudden happiness, especially for a gloomy Thursday morning, but he figured it was probably something to do with the fact that he could now say he had a boyfriend. He had a boyfriend, with whom he felt like he could talk about or do anything, with complete trust. 

He almost jumped out of his skin, however, when a car horn beeped from behind him. He span around with wide eyes and a racing heart to find Louis' dark blue car, prowling along beside him. The window wound down to reveal a smirking Louis. 

"Thought I'd give you a lift," He projected out, "So you're not lonely."

"Louis, I walk on my own every day. I'm never lonely." Harry giggled, still walking at a slow pace as Louis crept along beside him. "It's weird because I was just thinking about you, actually."

"I'm always thinking about you." Louis smiled, softly. "You're all that's ever on my mind, really... well, aside from the situation with Ben..."

"Is that still not cleared up?" Harry asked, but Louis was cut off as another car horn blared, this time from behind Louis' car. There was a queue of about five cars, unable to pass Louis' car.

"Jump in, I'm holding everyone up." Louis called. Harry nodded, jogging around to the other side of Louis' car and getting in, before shutting the door. Louis accelerated to normal speed, keeping his eyes on the road as Harry plugged in his seatbelt.

"No, it's still not cleared up." Louis gave his delayed response, inhaling, deeply. 

"Then what're you gonna do?" Harry piped, turning his face towards Louis. The older boy shrugged, letting out the breath he had just drawn in. 

"No idea. But he's still pretty persistent on seeing you again." Louis admitted, and Harry saw his hands tighten around the steering wheel. 

"Oh... really? He's that hooked on me, even though he only saw me once?"

"You must be pretty special," Louis smiled, weakly, "But, then again, who wouldn't like you?" He reached over and gently patted Harry's knee, before returning his hand to the wheel.

"You'll protect me from him, won't you?" Harry whispered. Louis' breath audibly hitched, and his hands once again constricted the steering wheel. He briefly looked at Harry, before turning his attention back onto the road. 

"Of course I will, baby." Louis insisted, calmly. "I promise."

Harry smiled, feeling slightly more relieved. "Thank you."

Little did Harry know, Ben always had a plan. He always got what he wanted. He was deceiving, and he was sinister.

\- - -

"Harry, how're things with Louis? He hasn't ditched you yet, has he?" Gemma queried, from where she sat at the kitchen island, as Harry got a glass of water. 

"I don't know why everyone thinks Louis is just going to ditch me! Things are great, actually. He would never betray me." Harry said, flatly, before taking a long sip from the tall glass. 

"Okay, good! Maybe he's more loyal than most people think. I just want to keep up-to-date with your life, little brother. I'm always here if you need guidance." She smiled, reassuringly, standing up and ruffling Harry's hair. Harry frowned and pushed her away, finishing the rest of the water before slamming down the glass.

"Well I don't need your 'guidance'. I can handle my love life by myself, so keep your nosy self out of it!" He snapped. 

"Woah, woah, sorry!" She gasped. "I won't even bother, then. You just wait until you need me, and I'll remind you of this conversation!"

"I won't need you." Harry muttered, moodily, before exiting the kitchen. 

\- - -

Louis just didn't know what to do anymore. He couldn't get money now. His main source of money, from which he had gotten £150, had been deleted from his contacts. Lucy was no longer there to financially support him. Sure, he felt bad for using her for a bit of cash, but he was desperate. He was desperate to do anything to pay Ben back, whether or not it hurt the people close to him. 

You could call him spiteful, or distrustful, but that could be looked past. The minute Ben was off his tail, he could devote all his time to his family and friends again. Just as long as he could win some trusts back, afterwards. 

\- - -

There was an obvious rivalry between Hannah and Louis, while Harry and Louis took a seat with she, Niall and Perrie at lunchtime. While Louis and Hannah were distracted by both going on their phones, to save awkwardness, Niall leant in to whisper in Harry's ear. 

"I heard Hannah slipped up and asked about the date."

"Yeah," Harry breathed, rolling his eyes, "It was like she was doing it on purpose, or something! She barely looked sorry."

"She's probably still jealous," Niall whispered. "How did Louis take it?"

"Surprisingly well, in the end. I was expecting a violent fight to break out." Harry giggled, quietly. Hannah and Louis were looking up now, suspecting something was happening with the whispering and small glances, so the boys stopped. 

"Umm..." Perrie tried to fill the awkward silence. "How's everyone's work going in class?"

"Okay," Louis muttered. 

"It's boring," Hannah complained.

"Y'know, same old, same old." Harry shrugged. 

"Amazingly!" Niall grinned. "I'm actually doing a lot better than I expected to be!"

Perrie perked up upon hearing Niall's bright tone. At least not everyone was acting moody and tired. 

"What's everyone planning to do this weekend?" Perrie continued, eyes skimming past everybody at the table. 

"Actually," Hannah sang, "I'm hooking up with a guy, who's my mum's friend's son. He likes sex, that's all I look for in a guy," Her tone soon turned more stern. "And that's because I'm disloyal and a FUCKING MANWHORE WHO USES PEOPLE FOR THEIR BODIES!" Her tone angrily raised towards the end, as she glared at Louis.

"WELL AT LEAST I KNOW WHEN I'M ACTUALLY WANTED!" Louis exclaimed, lividly, causing Harry to tense. 

"Louis, calm down," Harry breathed in his ear, rubbing a soothing hand on Louis' thigh. Louis did so immediately, just breathing heavily and staring into his lap. There was an awkward silence at the table, before Niall spoke. 

"Harry, why don't you and Louis leave?" He spoke out.

"I was thinking the same thing." Harry mumbled, getting to his feet and tugging Louis up with him. "C'mon, Lou."

Louis did as he was told, pushing himself to his feet and leading he and Harry out of the room with no further words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to leave any questions about the story or the characters in the comments. I'll try and reply to any that you may have.


	48. Chapter Forty-Eight

Louis was trapped. No way did he want to hurt anybody's feelings, but nor did he want Ben to continue to taunt and hurt him because of the money. Louis continuously received tempting messages. Ben knew just what to say. He was sneaky and sly. 

**Ben:** Are you still man enough to do it? Or are you going to be a wimp, as usual, and back out? 

**Ben:** Tomlinson, you know I won't hesitate to fucking kill you if you don't reply. It's either this plan or I hurt you. Badly.

Louis' heart was wildly racing. He liked to believe he was tough and unbreakable, but Ben was twenty years old, for crying out loud! Louis couldn't defend himself from absolutely everyone, so some things had to be done. Some chances had to be taken. Some future regrets had to be formed. 

**Louis:** I'll still do it. Just know that it's a horrible thing to do, and you're fucking forcing me into it!

 **Ben:** Don't badmouth me now. It'll get you nowhere when I next see you. Where are we going to meet?

 **Louis:** The alleyway behind the park. Be there at 11 tonight. I'll see you then. 

**Ben:** I cannot wait. And remember: be prepared and bring what I asked. If not, the deal's off and you're fucking dead. Understand? 

**Louis:** Yes. 

**Ben:** Yes who?

 **Louis:** Yes, Sir..

 **Ben:** Good boy. See you tonight. 

\- - -

Harry was lying on his stomach, texting Niall, for the first time since a week or so ago, when Niall was accusing Louis of being a filthy, untrustworthy cheater. Harry wanted to say that he trusted Louis... 

Yes, he **did** trust Louis. Louis loved him and wanted to protect him. 

**Niall:** i do agree with u when u say hannah is being a bit over the top. something is telling me she is trying to make louis look like an absolute dick to u so she can jump in and try to win him back when ur back is turned.

 **Harry:** Well he's all mine, I'm afraid :)

 **Niall:** yeah, it seems as though he will be staying put with u 4 now. can i tell you something, harry ? its a positive thing. 

**Harry:** Sure

 **Niall:** i was talking to a few more people from our class and they all agree that u have changed louis for the good. he has dropped his stupid couple of followers and has grown a pair, enough to get into a committed relationship. nobody has ever seen him so... romantic. ever.

Wow... Harry could only smile. Louis must have been very reserved person, closing himself up to any real love or affection. It was a sad thought that Louis only really knew about meaningless sex, and that was as romantic as it got. 

**Harry:** Really? Wow. That's really great to know, that I managed to bring out his softer side. :) I definitely do love him.

 **Niall:** i can tell:) hey, remember forever ago when he was staring at ur arse and you didnt believe me when i told you ? betcha believe me now, dont u ? ;)

Harry felt his stomach flip. Louis had pretty much been fascinated by Harry's bum for an unhealthily long time, as a secret.

 **Harry:** Yeah... I believe you now! Just didn't at the time because I thought he absolutely hated me more than life itself!

 **Niall:** at least u 2 are going well at the moment. anyway, i have to go and walk my cat. see u tomorrow

 **Harry:** What the fuck, who walks their cat?

 **Niall:** i do! u can get little cat leads because my mum doesnt trust the cat going out on her own. 

**Harry:** That's... interesting. Enjoy your bizarre walk, Niall. I'll see you tomorrow (FRIDAY!) :D

 **Niall:** yep! see u tomorrow

\- - -

Every footstep Louis took into the dark alley made him regret this even more. With only the dim glow of a few lampposts to light the way, anyone approaching him would only appear as a shadowy silhouette until they came close. It wasn't a worry for Louis, though, because he knew he could defend himself.

One hand clasped his phone, displaying the time to be 10:58 in the evening, while the other held guiltily onto the two glossy, printed-out photographs. 

The photographs of Harry, naked, that he had sent to Louis a couple of nights ago: one from the front and the other from the back.

Louis felt a lump forming in his throat when he saw Ben's silhouette stroll around the corner, edging closer before coming to a stop about a metre away. 

"Photos." Ben demanded, sticking out an impatient hand as he clicked, hastily. Louis' eyes flicked from the photographs to Ben's hand, and his heartbeat could be heard in his ears -- like heavy bass pounding through a large house. 

"W-Wait," Louis breathed, withdrawing the photos again before Ben could see or grab them, "Couldn't I-I just show you them? Y-You don't have to keep them! Please? I'll do anything, please!"

"You promised me the photographs, so they're what I'm leaving with today. Think about it for a second, Louis. You still owe me a hell of a lot of money, and I will take those photographs instead of that money. Effectively, those precious photos right there are worth one-thousand eight-hundred and fifty pounds."

Louis blew out his cheeks in disbelief. That was £925 per photo, if Louis' on-the-spot mathematics was correct. Harry must definitely have meant something to Ben.

"I-I just don't want to betray him-"

"Well, I'm pretty sure this is better for both of you than the other option. Harry wouldn't have been happy with sleeping with me, so I'm doing you both a huge favour here by reducing the payment to just these photos. Besides, no one's gonna see them. I'll keep them all to myself." Ben smiled, creepily, and Louis cringed. He hated the thought of Ben possessing nude photos of his boyfriend. But it had to be done now. 

With a shaky exhale, Louis pressed the two photographs into Ben's hand, and the older man immediately held them up and scanned his eyes over them. A smirk slowly rose onto his face.  
"Wow," He breathed, dreamily, "You've got yourself a beauty, here, Tomlinson. You're one hell of a lucky guy."

"I know." Louis whispered, sadly. He still felt like this was a nightmare. He was a monster for doing this. 

"Well, then, this feud is officially over!" Ben concluded, although his tone didn't sound very convincing. He usually had another trick or two up his sleeve. 

"Are you certain about that? You're not planning anything else stupid, are you?" Louis drawled out, lifelessly, rolling his eyes. 

"What would make you say that?" Ben acted as though he was offended.

"Because you didn't actually get your hands on Harry." Louis growled. He might have even been giving Ben ideas here, who knows, but Ben was quick to shake his head with a hearty chuckle. 

"I know that's what you want. Because you're disgusting." Louis spat, into the silence. 

"You really do make me laugh, Louis," Ben cackled, darkly, beginning to turn away, "I'll see you when I see you, kid." And with that, he was strolling away, with the photos in his hand. 

What the hell had Louis done? Maybe it was no harm done, but that was unlikely. Ben wasn't the sort of person who'd give up without physically having Harry, not just visually. Something inside of Louis knew that just pictures weren't enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shit, don't hate me! *shields face with hands*


	49. Chapter Forty-Nine

"Hey, have you seen Louis today?" Harry questioned Niall, after approaching him in the school corridor the next morning. Niall peered around, as if attempting to look for him, before turning back to look at Harry. 

"I haven't, no, mate. Maybe he's taken the day off?" Niall guessed, with a shrug. 

"But... he wouldn't just do that without telling me. And, besides, he wasn't responding to any of my texts last night. Not a single one!" Harry stressed, running a hand through his curls.

"Maybe his phone's broken or something?" Niall suggested.

"He'd have messaged me on Facebook." Harry debunked, inhaling deeply. "I shouldn't worry. I'll try and contact him over the weekend."

"Yeah, you shouldn't worry yourself too much."

Maybe Harry was just being stupidly clingy. It just didn't feel right when Louis wasn't at school with him. It was like he felt... exposed. Louis was his comfort.

\- - -

Louis sat in his bedroom all day, with the lights off and curtains drawn shut. He had simply told his mum he was too ill to attend school, when really it was purely because he couldn't handle facing Harry. He felt so inhumane. How did he not have the mind to imagine what he was really doing, and how it'd negatively affect Harry? 

He wished he could turn back time and not have given away those photos, but it was impossible. The money had been paid off, after two years, but Louis just knew Ben wasn't finished just yet. He wouldn't be finished until had gotten what the hell it was that he wanted from poor Harry. 

\- - -

 **Harry:** Louis, reply to me if you read this. I don't mind of you're ill and had to take the day off, but I just want to talk. I missed you all day :( .x

 **Harry:** Come on, please reply? The messages are being delivered .x

 **Harry:** Just say anything .x

 **Harry:** Fine, I'll be lonely all night .x

 **Louis:** I'm sorry, I've just felt like absolute shit today. x

 **Harry:** Was it something I did that made you feel horrible? .x

 **Louis:** No, it wasn't. It's just... have you ever had a moment where you've just really regretted something? Where you just wish you could rewind time and not do it? x

 **Harry:** I guess everyone's felt like that at some point in their lives. Sometimes people don't reflect on how something can affect themselves or others until it's too late .x

Louis slammed his phone down onto his mattress. Why did his life have to be so tough? Why did he have to be such a stupid 15-year-old in the past? Why couldn't he have just given Ben the £2,000 at the right time? Why did Ben have to turn up when Harry was around? 

Louis' mind was swirling with guilt, sadness, regret and tiredness. He was just so fed up. He picked up his phone again and opened Ben's contact. 

**Louis:** Show those photos to anyone else and I'll personally find you and slit your throat. Don't think I won't. They're between you and I, so no one else needs to know. 

**Ben:** You? Slit my throat? You wouldn't dare lay a finger on me, Tomlinson. 

**Louis:** It was a warning. Can we save Harry's feelings? Isn't that what you'd like, if you like him so much? 

**Ben:** Hmm... I do like him, yes, but I hate you. A lot.

 **Louis:** What's that got to do with anything? 

**Ben:** I want Harry to hate you, too.

Louis' heart rate dipped, as did his breath, as he stared at the new message.

 **Louis:** You're not going to dare do ANYTHING!!!

 **Ben:** Watch me.

"No, no, no," Louis repetitively whispered under his breath, shakily breathing. What the hell was Ben planning? Louis should have known Ben would know exactly what he was doing. He had been planning this all along. 

\- - -

All weekend, Louis didn't contact Harry or Ben any further. He was too scared. With texting Harry, he mainly felt bad, but when texting Ben, he felt worried. It was like anything he were to say could provoke Ben into definitely doing whatever it was he wanted to do to get Harry to hate Louis.

Louis didn't know whether to warn Harry or not. He couldn't exactly say: "Just so you know, I gave Ben your nudes and now he's trying to make you hate me," Because:

1: That openly told Harry that Louis had betrayed him

And, 2: It would sound way too confusing to try and explain. 

Louis also contemplated hiding in his bedroom for the rest of his life, but this when he knew his brain was just overloading with stupid ideas and theories that were never going to help anything. 

\- - -

"Lottie!" Louis yelled, late on Sunday evening, as he sat in his bedroom. "LOTTIE!" He screamed even louder, after a moment of hesitance from his sister. 

"What? What is it?" Lottie questioned, worriedly, bursting into Louis' room with a concerned expression. 

"I need your advice... again."

Lottie sighed, walking into her older brother's bedroom and perching herself on the edge of his bed.

"Is it about that Harry boy that you like again?" She predicted. 

"Listen, I'm just going to explain what's happening really quickly. Don't say a word until I've finished, okay?"

"Okay." Lottie nodded, slowly. 

"Basically, I couldn't get Ben's money back because I'm broke and I had no way to earn it, so he and I agreed that I could give him Harry's naked photos opposed to the two-thousand pounds, and he'd be happy. Now Harry doesn't know I did it and I feel like absolute shit because Ben's threatening to make Harry hate me! I have a really bad feeling he's going to spread those photos and blame me! What should I do?" Louis ranted, helplessly. Lottie's face was very surprised as she took in what her brother was telling her. She looked shocked, and a little bit disgusted. 

"So, wait...  if Harry was happy sending you naked photos, doesn't that mean he must really trust you? Damn, Louis, you're in some deep shit."

"That's not advice!" Louis complained, slamming a fist onto his bedside table. 

"Okay, okay! Well... umm..." Her face contorted in thought for a minute or so. "I don't think there's anything to do, now. I'm sorry, Louis, but there's no way out of this. You were stupid enough to give away Harry's photos, which were private! How could you do that? You idiot!"

Louis opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn't think up an appropriate reply. Lottie, his sister, the only person he trusted to tell his problems to, had broken it to him. There was nothing else to do. Harry was going to hate him. Forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Louis is an idiot.


	50. Chapter Fifty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> H A P P Y B I R T H D A Y , L I A M ♡

Louis was apprehensive about going to school on Monday. He wished he could have blagged another day off school, but his mum wasn't the sort of parent who'd just allow him to have a day off whenever he felt like it. If anything, she'd literally drag him out of bed by his hair in order to force him to go to school. 

Little did he know, Harry was the one having a day off that Monday morning. He woke up around seven o'clock in the morning with an awful cold, meaning his mum just couldn't send him off to school. Harry actually wanted to go, though, as he hadn't seen Louis since Thursday, so he was missing him, big time. 

"Harry, Love, you can't go in today. You're ill," Anne insisted, calmly, "Let's just hope you're well enough to go in tomorrow."

Harry was sat in his bed, cocooned in his blanket with droopy eyes and pink cheeks and nose. "I just want to see Louis." He admitted, with a pout. 

"Umm... okay," Anne sighed, with a frown, "Maybe you can tomorrow, then."

"Fine." Harry croaked, lying back down and snuggling into his blanket. "Let me sleep a bit more."

"Alright, darling. I'll bring you a hot water bottle soon." She smiled, soothingly, quietly leaving his room. Harry slammed his hands down on the surface of his duvet cover, with a fed up sigh. He hated being ill. It was restricting and unnecessary.

\- - -

As Louis wandered down the school corridor, alone, there was a different buzz about the atmosphere. A negative buzz. It felt like everyone was whispering amongst themselves --negotiating. They were crowding around phone screens, sharing whatever entertainment they had uncovered. Their eyes skimmed Louis like they were vultures, and he was their prey. It was either paranoia, or an awful reality. 

"Louis! What the fuck, man?!" Niall shoved Louis from behind, suddenly, causing him to slam into a locker on his right. Louis turned to him with wildly wide eyes, seeing that Hannah and Perrie were stood there, too, looking shocked. 

"W-What?" Louis questioned, innocently, allowing his eyes to quickly divert between the three people in front of him. 

"Can you please explain why the fuck those photos of Harry are circulating around the school?! Why would you spread them?!" Perrie practically screamed, reaching forward and slapping Louis, harshly, on the arm. 

Louis knew it. The worst had happened. The unforgiving nightmare of Ben spreading the nude photos of Harry. Louis was speechless. His body felt like it had shut down. 

"I-I-" Louis' chest was heaving up and down, dangerously fast, "It wasn't me!" Half true. 

"Bullshit!" Niall yelled. "Who else would have those pictures?!"

"It-It's a really long story. I-I'll explain!" Louis pleaded. 

"We don't want your petty explanation! Does Harry even know what's going on yet? Where is he?!" Perrie demanded, looking over the crowds of hysterically excited and intimidating students; hysterical over the photos. 

"I don't know!" Louis exclaimed, worriedly, "I haven't seen him!"

Niall leant back on one hip, looking up at the ceiling as he ran his hands down his face, stressfully, with a deep sigh. 

"I'll text him." Louis tried, weakly.

"And say what? 'I spread your nudes because I'm an inconsiderate bastard!' That's harshly going to go well!" Hannah spoke up, angrily. 

"I'll tell him the real story. He'll understand." Louis breathed, pulling out his phone. Niall reached forward and slapped the phone from Louis' hand, causing it to fly to the floor, and the battery to fall out. 

"Fucking twat!" Louis shouted, pushing Niall against the locker by his chest. It was out of mainly frustration over the whole situation, not the fact that his phone had minorly hit the floor. Perrie and Hannah pulled Louis off the blonde boy, who was wide eyed and scared. Louis then fell to his knees. He fell to his knees and he began to cry. Amongst the dense crowds of other pupils, he  poured his heart out through tears, expressing just how sorry and overwrought he was about everything.

Suddenly, Louis' rare showcase of emotions was more important - just for a sheer moment - than the situation with Harry's photos. People didn't know how to react to this. Louis, the usually tough and prepotent boy, was in tears. 

And not until now did anyone realise that it was over another boy: Harry Styles.

\- - -

"Harry..." Anne knocked, firmly, on her son's bedroom door at around 11 o'clock that morning. Harry's ears perked up. 

"Yeah? Come in." 

The door creaked open, and Anne and Gemma stood there. Anne had a neutral face, although her eyes looked slightly pained, while Gemma was nervously biting her bottom lip, with sad eyes.

"Your headteacher called." Anne informed, softly but sadly. 

"And? You told him I was ill, right?"

"This... this wasn't about your attendance, Love." Anne sighed, slowly. "It was about some photos that have been going around your school. There's been a lot of fuss today, apparently, so your headteacher found out what it was about."

"...Photos?" Harry asked, slowly, furrowing his eyebrows. "Of me?"

"They're naked photos of you, apparently, Harry." Gemma broke it to him, confidently, breaking the pain to him. 

"You're... you're having me on, aren't you? Y-You're joking, right?" Harry hoped, weakly, feeling a lump form in his throat and a heavy feeling in his chest.

"This isn't a joke, Harry," Anne said, "Why were you stupid enough to send those photos out in the first place?!"

"B-Because I trusted Louis! I-I trusted him!" Harry's voice cracked, and he slowly stood up, feeling like his knees were about to collapse beneath him. 

"I should've known he'd be behind this. This isn't just his fault, though, but also yours." Anne accused. "We're not going to take you side completely, because you know how risky sending photos like that are! You've been told so many times in the past!" 

A tear trickled down Harry's cheek, before he choked a sob and pleadingly stared at his two family members. 

"I... I hate him..." Harry breathed, fists bawling, before he choked out another sob. "I fucking hate him!"

"Harry, you need to remain calm, okay? That's the best thing you can do right now." Gemma said, softly. 

"REMAIN CALM?! MY WHOLE FUCKING SCHOOL HAS SEEN THOSE PHOTOS AND IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF LOUIS! I HATE HIM!" Harry screamed, kicking over his desk chair. 

"Harry, stop!" Anne demanded. 

"HOW COULD HE DO THAT?!" Harry cried, falling to the carpet and balling his body up. "I-I hate him." He whispered, weakly, shakily crying as he folded in on himself. 

"Come downstairs when you're ready to talk." Anne said, sternly. She turned and left the room, shutting the door behind her, and Harry glanced up with large, teary eyes at Gemma. 

"G-Gemma... I don't know w-what to do." He breathed, helplessly. She crouched down to his level. 

"Remember when you told me you didn't need my help? And that you wanted me to keep out of your love life?" She reminded.

"No! I-I'm sorry, just- can you get my phone? P-Please?" He pointed to where it lay on his bed. 

Gemma nodded, pushing herself back to her feet and grabbing Harry's phone off his bed. She passed it to him and Harry unlocked it, shaking all over. He had over fifteen texts, all from different people, many being horrible, but all he cared about was the one from Louis. 

**Louis:** Harry, call me. Now. Please.

Harry shook his head in disgust, locking his phone again. What did Louis even have to say? It was blatantly clear what was happening: Louis was being an inconsiderate, attention-seeking bastard. He hadn't acknowledged feelings, once again.

Gemma left the room a second later, claiming Harry needed a moment alone, and another text from Louis popped up.

 **Louis:** I need to talk to you. This wasn't my fault, Harry, I didn't want those photos to be shared! I feel like such a monster right now, I'm so so so so so dearly sorry. I need to see you right now!

 **Harry:** Fuck off, you arsehole.

 **Louis:** Harry! Call me. Wait, I'll call you! Hold on!

Harry's phone began to buzz and ring in his hand a second later, but he declined the call, still crying, softly, throwing his phone across the carpet. Louis Tomlinson could go and fuck himself if he wanted to talk to Harry now. 

Something inside Harry told him Louis was being truthful about it not being he who shared them, but he was the only person who had those photos. He would have had to share them with someone else if someone else was going to send them to everyone at the school... and it now hit Harry who it was:

Ben.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This drama won't last too long, don't worry. I hate writing about Harry being sad :( <3


	51. Chapter Fifty-One

Harry was hyperventilating as he and his mum sat in the car, parked in the car park of the school on Wednesday morning. He had taken Tuesday off school, during which he had turned off his phone and spent all day lying on his bed, emotionless. He just couldn't come to terms with how spiteful Louis had been. Even if it was to pay back Ben's money in some way, it was horrible of him to use Harry's photos without his permission, anyway. 

"M-Mum, I wanna go home," Harry stuttered, clutching with a death-grip onto the seat beneath him. 

"Harry, darling, it'll be fine! Everyone's probably forgotten about it by now." Anne tried to reassure, but she just sounded foolish to Harry. 

"Are you kidding me?" Harry breathed, trying to regain his breath after thinking through how everyone would react. "Everyone will laugh at me. They'll hate me!"

"They won't laugh." Anne scoffed. "If they do, tell the teacher!"

Harry breathed out a humourless laugh, rolling his eyes. "Mum, you just don't understand!"

"Go on, you're going to be late." Anne pushed, reaching over to open the door on Harry's side, before patting his leg.

"No!" Harry yelled. "I'm going home! I'm not going in!"

"You're being childish!"

"I'M NOT FACING LOUIS! TAKE ME THE HELL HOME RIGHT NOW!" Harry screamed, slamming his fist down on the car's dashboard. Anne ran her hands through her hair, letting out a deep, audible sigh. 

"Can you just listen to me for a second, Harry?" She spoke, softly, "The longer you hide from what's going on, the more people will think you're humiliated by it!"

"I **am** humiliated by it! Who wouldn't be?!"

"That's not the point. I just want you to understand that you need to walk in there with your head held high. You need to ignore the comments people give you, because they're probably just trying to upset you."

"What about Louis?" Harry asked, sternly, hating the sound of the name, now. It sickened him. "I-I wont even be able to look at him, let alone sit right next to him! I hate him!"

"Right..." Anne paused in thought. "Do you know what I want you to do?"

"Punch him in the fucking face?" Harry snarled. 

"No, Love, that's not how you resolve anything. I want you to blank him out. Even if he approaches you and tries to talk, I want you to walk the other way and pretend he's not there." Anne theorised. 

"He'll follow me around all day, mum. I'll probably accidently make eye contact, or something, and I... I'll get caught in his eyes and I just won't be able to stop myself from speaking to him."

Anne smiled, sadly, as she looked at Harry. "You can ignore him, then that'll make him scared," She said, "He'll be scared, because he'll realise that he's losing you."

"Okay," Harry said, blankly, giving in after a pause. "I'll ask Mr Gordon to move me away from him."

"Good lad! I knew you were strong. Now, go on! I'll pick you up at the end of the day, alright?"

"Alright." Harry sighed, slinging his backpack over his shoulder and jumping out of the car. He waved, waiting for her to blow a kiss as a goodbye, before she reversed from the space and sped out of the car park. 

Harry already felt like everyone was staring at him, even though no one else was in the car park. He headed into the main school building, trying to keep his head held high, like his mum had advised. He entered the corridor, full of other students, and the entire place silenced when they noticed his presence. 

Absolutely everyone in the hallway was staring at him. Not one pair of eyes was elsewhere. Harry couldn't locate Niall, Perrie, Hannah, or - luckily - Louis. He took a step through the corridor, one after another, between the crowds of pheople. 

"Hey, look, it's the slut!" A male voice yelled, and the whole corridor exploded into criticising laughter at the sudden outcry from a random pupil. 

Harry's eyes clouded with tears, and he ran the rest of the way down the corridor, towards the toilets, while the laughter continued to boom out. He kicked the door to the toilets open, mentally thanking God that it was empty, and he threw his bag onto the floor. He caught himself on the sink counter, staring up at his reflection in the mirror. 

His face had reddened, his eyes were welling with tears, and his bottom lip was trembling. This was when he just completely lost it, bursting into quietened tears, that mainly consisted of breathy sobs. 

He knew that this would happen as soon as he got to school. He wasn't strong enough to face a situation like this; he was weak when alone. His mum just didn't understand what it was like walking into a situation like this one. Not one person he saw in that corridor sympathised with him. Not **one**.

Harry dropped his head onto the counter as he cried, trying to compress his volume of crying so no one outside the bathroom heard. He wanted to scream at the top of his lungs, but he couldn't. He wanted to punch the mirror and smash it to pieces, but he couldn't. He wanted to hug Louis... but he was never going to touch or talk to that boy again. 

The door to the toilets opened, then, and upon hearing the creak of it, Harry's teary face lifted, in fright. His reflection met eyes with the reflection of who stood at the door:

Louis. 

Harry's breath hitched so loud that both of them heard, but Louis looked just as caught off-guard as he did. 

"Harry..." He breathed, reaching a hand out in Harry's direction. Harry fiercely slapped away the hand. 

"Get the fuck away from me." Harry warned, in a shaky whisper. Louis took a step back, not letting his eyes leave Harry's face once. 

"Let me explain." Louis pleaded. 

"No!" Harry yelled. "I'm leaving."

Harry went to cautiously pass Louis, reaching for the door handle, but Louis grabbed him, roughly, by the shoulders and pushed him against the wall. He hadn't intended to be so rough.

"Let me fucking explain." He growled. Harry didn't restrain himself from slapping Louis as hard as humanly possible across the face -- so hard that Louis' face flew to the side with the impact. Then, Harry rushed out of the toilets, away from Louis. 

\- - -

Nothing could compare to how hard Harry's heart was thudding in his chest as he entered the classroom that morning. He had hidden away behind the maths block for a further twenty minutes - hoping to avoid walking to class anywhere near Louis - before finally going to his lesson.

Mr Gordon looked understanding, sending a sympathetic smile Harry's way when he entered the classroom, but the rest of the class were clearly trying to hold in that thunderous laughter again. Harry made accidental eye contact with Louis, who gave him a pleading look, but Harry looked away, instantly. 

"Where would you like to sit, Harry? I know there's some sort of situation going on that might prevent you from wanting to sit with specific people." Mr Gordon whispered to Harry.

"On my own." Harry breathed, even though Niall looked sympathetic from across the room.

"Okay, sit over there." Mr Gordon whispered with a smile, pointing to the empty table on the opposite side of the room to Louis. Harry thanked him, before sitting in the indicated seat. He could hear his name in people's whispers around the room, but he ignored it and tried to listen to what Mr Gordon was droning on about. 

For the rest of the lesson, Harry could feel many pairs of eyes on him from all around the room... but the pair of eyes that struck him the most was Louis'.

\- - -

When lunchtime came, Harry sat alone on a table that was neighbouring the table that Niall, Perrie and Hannah were sat on.

"Someone should go and talk to him... he looks really down." Perrie frowned, and the three turned to look at Harry. The curly-haired boy was picking at a sandwich, clearly having lost his appetite, and he was staring down at the tabletop. 

"I'll go," Niall volunteered, standing up and heading to the side of Harry's table. Perrie and Hannah watched with anticipation. 

"Mate, do you want me to sit with you?" Niall asked, sincerely and soft. Harry completely blanked him out, not even looking up or changing his body language in any way. "Harry, you can talk to me."

"Go away." Harry grumbled, still refusing to look up at Niall. Ignoring the snappy command from Harry, Niall pulled out the chair by Harry's side and slid into it. This made Harry tense. 

"Please talk to me?" Niall urged, "It doesn't have to be about what's going on, it could be... about football! Anything!"

"I bet you've seen the photos, too, haven't you?" Harry asked, flatly. "Everyone's seen them."

"The fact that I've seen those photos doesn't change our friendship, mate. You're still my friend, no matter what." Niall assured. 

"How did you get them?" Harry questioned. "How did **everyone** get them?"

"We all had them sent to our phones from an anonymous number. I'm guessing it was somehow done via the school's WiFi, because we're all logged onto it. Louis said-"

"What did Louis say?" Harry gasped, cutting Niall off from saying what he wanted to hear, anyway. 

"He said he didn't do it. He wasn't the person who sent them to everybody."

"He must have sent my photos to somebody else," Harry sighed, "I don't know how to take everything, Niall. I know why Louis did it, and who it was that sent them to everyone else, but I just don't understand why they were actually shared with everyone in the first place!"

"Who shared them with everyone at school?" Niall asked, desperately. "What did they think they were going to get out of it?"

This was when it hit Harry like a ton of bricks. Not only did he know it was Ben who sent the photos, but he also knew why Ben shared then with everyone else. Of course! Ben wanted Harry to think it was all Louis' fault, so Harry would hate him. How could Harry have been so blind to this? 

Maybe giving the photos to Ben was a softer alternative to another payment for the money that Ben wanted. Perhaps Ben wanted more, but Louis didn't allow it.

Maybe Louis **was** protecting Harry after all, but it still didn't make Harry forgive Louis for giving Ben the intimate photos without permission.


	52. Chapter Fifty-Two

One day back at school was enough for Harry. Niall was the only person he had held a proper conversation with, although it wasn't exactly a positive one. He had spoken to Mr Gordon, about the stupid seating plan, and he had reluctantly "spoken words" to Louis. He wouldn't exactly class it as a proper conversation, seeing as he didn't particularly want to talk to him.

It was Thursday morning, and Harry felt completely numb on the inside now. It almost felt as though if he were to go to school that day, the comments and laughter from other classmates would just go straight through him. He had forgotten how to feel, all because of Louis Tomlinson. You could say Harry was being oversensitive, but he really wasn't. Throughout his life, he had already faced enough bullying and manipulation, so now it just felt like a broken record. 

Several messages were in Louis' phone that morning. A few were from persistently nasty pupils at Harry's school, continuing to comment on the nude photos, but there were two other recipients who sent Harry texts, too.

Three messages from Louis, and one from Alex. 

**Louis:** I feel like you're never going to forgive me. x

 **Louis:** It's scaring me, to be honest. The fact that you're the only good thing in my life now and I'm losing you. x

 **Louis:** Just send me one text? I don't care what, call me a twat! Tell me to fuck off! I just need to know that you're alright. x

Harry closed those texts and opened the one from Alex. 

**Alex:** I heard the news. Sad, huh? Boo-hoo.

Harry wanted to punch Alex across the face. How had he heard about it, too? This must have really been spreading. He chose to respond to Alex's text, though, opposed to replying to Louis'.

 **Harry:** "News"? This isn't fucking worldwide headlines, here. Stay out of it.

 **Alex:** It may not be worldwide, but everyone around our little town seems to have heard about it ;)

 **Harry:** And?

 **Alex:** You can't tell me you still love Louis. 

**Harry:** I never said that.

 **Alex:** So you don't love him anymore, is that what you're saying?

Harry froze, thumbs hovering over his phone's keyboard. It pretty much caught him off-guard, because he didn't know. He wanted to say he didn't love Louis anymore, but he knew the feeling was still there. 

**Harry:** I am annoyed at him... but I don't know. 

**Alex:** You can't just forgive him! That's showing him how you're being far too flexible with him. He'll think he can do absolutely anything and you'll come back afterwards. He's going to treat you like absolute shit if you let him back into your life now.

He did kind of have a point...

 **Harry:** That's a good point, but I can't help still having feelings for Louis. It's only normal.

 **Alex:** Why don't you just give me a chance again? I never did anything wrong! All that happened was a bit of banter between you and my friends! We were joking around, but then Louis just had to intervene!

 **Harry:** I knew this is what you'd be trying to get at. Now you've seen those naked pictures of me, I bet you're even more fucking interested, aren't you? I don't like you, and I don't think I ever even did.

 **Alex:** Naked pictures or no naked pictures, I still think you're a really cute and sweet guy. You could have the ugliest body in the world (which you don't) and I'd still like you. The fact that you have an amazing, beautiful body is only a bonus to me.

Maybe Alex wasn't so bad after all. That was probably Harry's vengeful side talking, wanting to get back at Louis, but something about Alex did seem quite nice. Perhaps one little day out with him sometime wouldn't hurt, just so long as things didn't get too serious too quickly. He just wanted to be friends right now, with anybody honest. 

**Harry:** That's really sweet. Listen, I don't hate you. You have been a real dick in the past but you've also given me some really good advice, and I respect you for that. Maybe we could meet up one day? You're probably one of the only people I know at the moment who isn't negatively judging me, aside from my friend, Niall. 

**Alex:** You'd really give me another chance? 

**Harry:** Not really a fully romantic chance... this is hard to explain, but this would not be a "date" sort of meet-up. I'd just like to spend time with someone who isn't either trying to make fun of me or trying to take me to bed. Could you fit those "standards"?

 **Alex:** Definitely. Just a friendly meet-up. No horrible comments, no sexual mishaps... just two friends catching up.

 **Harry:** Thank you, Alex. Well, I'm gonna have to go to school today because my mum will sadly force me, but we could meet up tomorrow after school, as it's a Friday? 

**Alex:** Nice, alright. How about we meet in the city centre at half past three, outside that little café that's opposite the water fountain?

 **Harry:** I'll be there. See you :)

Harry actually didn't know why he was suddenly agreeing to meeting up with Alex. It was sort of blatantly obvious that Alex only wanted Harry as a relationship partner or a sex buddy, but neither appealed to Harry at all. He just needed someone to talk to; someone who wasn't going to his school. 

Besides, it may or may not have been a plan to make Louis a little jealous...

\- - -

Harry was a little bit more confident about entering the school building that morning, even though he received exactly the same sort of reactions from everyone -- and the same comments about him being a "slut". He didn't run off crying to the toilets today, though, because that got him absolutely nowhere yesterday. If anything, it probably spurred everyone on to make fun of him even more because they knew they were provoking a reaction out of him. 

Harry hadn't seen Louis yet, but he bumped into Perrie in the corridor, after turning a corner, causing him to practically jump out of his skin. 

"Hey, Harry, are you okay?" She asked in greeting, sending Harry a sincere smile and trying to act like it was just a normal, moderate conversation that wasn't molded around all of the drama.

"Have you, umm, seen Louis today?" Harry questioned, worriedly, completely ignoring Perrie's own question.

"I did see him, earlier, yes," She stated, suspiciously, "Why? Do you need to talk to him, or something?"

"No, no, of course I don't!" Harry cringed. "I just wanted to know whether I have anything to be avoiding today, that's all. I guess I do, then."

"Harry?"

"What?"

"Louis looked really sad today. Like he'd been crying." She spoke, softly, with a sad smile. Harry almost felt a little bit bad. Louis was desperately trying to tell Harry that it wasn't his fault the photos got shared, but Harry was blocking him out and ignoring his excuses. He may have actually been all Louis really had left, aside from his family, now Zayn and Liam were no longer his friends.

"Tell me more." Harry stated, in determination. 

"Well, he was on his own. Walking pretty quickly, but he definitely looked really sad. I'm sorry for whatever's happening between the two of you right now. I hope it resolves itself." She said. 

"It won't," Harry sighed, "He's broken two chances for my trust now, so I can't give him any more. Anyway, let's get to class."

\- - -

Harry sat alone again, on the opposite side of the room to Louis. Perrie was right: Louis did look very upset. He was just scraping the tabletop all lesson with the blade of some scissors, never really lifting his eyes away -- except from when Mr Gordon told him to concentrate. Harry so desperately wanted to run over there and give Louis a big hug, but at the same time he wanted to keep hating Louis.

By the end of the lesson, Louis had left quickly, only sparing a very subtle glance at Harry (which was maybe not so subtle, as Harry noticed it). As Harry was leaving the room, the surface of Louis' table caught his eye. Scraped into the top, using scissors, was:

"i hate myself for hurting you".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo, the stalker Harry plot won the vote, I guess. *woop woop*?
> 
> Anyway, I hate to say it, but this story will end in a few chapters' time. Hope you're still enjoying it :)


	53. Chapter Fifty-Three

Harry kept falling asleep and waking up again that night. It was a slightly relief that it was Friday the next morning, one day before the weekend, but he still had the hassle of attending school for one more day, then meeting up with Alex. 

Harry was just sat in the pitch darkness, staring forwards into the nothingness of his bedroom. There was a heavy storm outside, which probably didn't help soothe Harry to sleep, because his eardrums were met by a thunderous clap every now and again, before his room flashed very slightly with the lightning. It was almost like the thunderstorm was a reflection of his mood - dreary and depressing.

He grabbed his phone off his bedside table, squinting when he unlocked it and he had to adjust his eyes to the sudden brightness. The time was twenty-three minutes past two in the morning. Still around four and a half hours until he had to get up for school. 

He huffed, surrendering and switching on his bedside lamp, so his room was instantly lit up. He flung his leg over the edge of his bed and stood up, stretching out his arms in front of him. All he had remembered was falling asleep at around midnight, waking up at one, falling back asleep at two, and now he was awake once again -- just under half an hour later. He was under too much stress to experience a good night's sleep. 

He threw on a baggy t-shirt and some sweatpants, seeing as he was only wearing his underwear previously, then he left his bedroom as quietly as possible, so as not to wake his mother and sister. It was just one of those nights where sitting downstairs with the television at a low volume would probably be a better alternative to sitting on his bed in the dark. After making his way down the stairs, turning on the hallway light downstairs, he entered the kitchen and poured a glass of cold water from the tap. It didn't take long for him to figure out that he was very thirsty, as he gulped it down in seconds. 

As he was making his way across the hallway again, towards the living room, he heard a knock on the front door. It immediately made his heart rate speed up in fright. Was he hearing things? Why would somebody knock on their front door at half past two in the morning? And to add to the enigma, who would be outside in such a horrendous thunderstorm? 

Harry reached for the door keys that were hung by the door, shakily unlocking the door and opening it, slowly, preparing to be stabbed by a serial killer. He immediately gasped and slammed the door upon seeing **Louis Tomlinson** stood there, drenched from head-to-toe in rainwater. 

Harry lay his back against the closed door, chest still heaving. Was this a weird nightmare, or something? 

"Harry..." Louis groaned, in annoyance, through the door. He knocked again, and Harry wanted to run upstairs, but he knew Louis would end up knocking again and making a racket, thus waking up his family members. 

He very reluctantly opened up the door again, making eye contact with Louis. He could see the sadness and desperation in Louis' eyes. 

"What the hell do you want?" Harry snapped, seeing Louis tense up at his tone. 

"H-Harry, I couldn't sleep," Louis said, brokenly, "I needed to see you."

"Well I didn't want to see you." Harry snarled, hearing Louis let out a soft sob. "L-Louis, don't cry." Harry whispered. Even if he was annoyed at Louis, it still hurt to see him cry. This was when Louis completely lost it, bursting into tears and covering his face with his hands. 

"Louis," Harry breathed out, sadly, "Stop crying."

"I'm just so sorry," Louis cried out, "F-For everything... I-I've realised that I just can't live without you b-being with me."

Harry sighed, slowly, scratching the back of his neck, awkwardly.

"You didn't need to come out here in the rain. It's freezing out here!" Harry shivered as another gust of bitter air whistled past them. Louis shrugged, choking in a breath. 

"Oh well." He smiled, very sadly. "Anything for you, Curly."

The nickname made Harry's stomach erupt with butterflies. It had been too long since he'd heard it. But he really couldn't let his soppy side let Louis win. 

"I'm meeting up with Alex after school later." He stated, solidly. Louis' breath audibly hitched, and he raised his eyes to meet Harry's. 

"You're gonna forget me already, aren't you?" He whispered, sadly. It broke Harry's heart seeing him like this, but Louis had hurt him one hundred times worse. 

"Alex and me... we, umm, we're just meeting up as friends." Harry informed. "I wouldn't get with him. I don't want anyone right now."

"Okay." Louis tried to smile, but it was very weak. "I'm sorry for bothering you." Louis turned on his feet and started heading away. Harry just couldn't play this stupid "hard to get" game anymore. He couldn't see Louis sad for any longer. 

"Louis! Wait!" Harry yelled out. Louis turned just as Harry was running towards him, and the moment Harry reached him, he crashed his lips against Louis'. Louis' lips tasted like rain, and Harry's hands raked through Louis' soaking hair as he began to feel Louis kiss back, against his lips. 

Their lips molded together, wetly, with the rain dampening their entire bodies. Louis was smiling into the kiss, Harry could feel it, and Harry's hands cupped Louis' cheeks as their lips slowly left one another's. They rested their foreheads together, staring into each other's eyes, heavily breathing as their noses brushed.

"I love you," Harry breathed, before attaching his lips to Louis' again. They kissed quicker now, and Harry was completely soaking with rain now, too, but he didn't care. They broke the kiss and rested their foreheads together once again. 

"I fucking love you, too." Louis smirked, causing Harry to giggle before pulling Louis' bottom lip between his teeth. "You can still meet up with Alex... if you really want to. I'm not going to stop you, just as long as you're only seeing each other as friends." Louis whispered, as their foreheads left each other and they stood a small distance apart again. 

Something inside Harry just wanted to go and meet Alex, just for a friendly catchup, because he could do with having a few more friends. Alex knew it was just on friendly terms, anyway, so it was no big deal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *unedited*


	54. Chapter Fifty-Four

The confusing thing was that Louis wasn't at school the next day, on Friday morning. Harry would have thought Louis would have been looking forward to coming into school, seeing as they had sort of made up, but Harry was alone again. 

He was still being laughed at, but not quite as extremely. The worst thing that happened - apart from people shouting horrible remarks - was that somebody had pinned one of Harry's naked photos to his locker door. He rolled his eyes and scrunched it up, before chucking it into the bin. It was just childish of people to keep going on and on about it, especially seeing as it had nothing to do with their own lives. They had no idea what Harry was going through. 

When breaktime came, Harry decided to text Louis, as he sat behind the maths building - alone. 

**Harry:** Why aren't you in school today? .x

 **Louis:** Sorry for not telling you earlier! I've got a cold! x

 **Harry:** Yeah, probably from venturing out at two in the morning in the middle of a thunderstorm! Hope you're okay :( .x

 **Louis:** I feel like shit. Sat in bed with a box of tissues and some cough sweets. Hope to see you soon, though :) x

 **Harry:** Me too .x

 **Louis:** Where are you right now? On your break, aren't you? x

 **Harry:** Just sat behind the maths block. In hiding, because people are still judging me ...x

 **Louis:** You're making me feel awful again. I hate myself so fucking much now, you know that? x

 **Harry:** Okay, okay, I'm sorry. Please don't hate yourself. You've paid that money off now, I'm guessing? That's all I care about now. You're out of danger .x

 **Louis:** I love you so much, you know that? x

 **Harry:** I've been told ;) .x

 **Louis:** You know when you're just sat there and a wave of realisation hits you on just how fucking much someone means to you? Shit. x

 **Harry:** Stop being all soppy, Louis Tomlinson ;) .x

 **Louis:** Call me. Wanna hear your voice x

So, seeing as there were still ten minutes left of break, Harry called Louis - who picked up within seconds. 

"Hey," Louis croaked, voice sounding evidently hoarse, due to having a bad throat. 

"You sound like absolute shit." Harry smirked, even though Louis couldn't see him, and he heard Louis chuckle, weakly, on the other side. 

"Shut up, Curly," He protested. "Anyway, are you still seeing Alex later? I don't mind if you do, it's just-"

"Louis, I won't go if you genuinely don't want me to. I hope you know that." Harry reasoned. He heard louis sigh. 

"Go. Seriously, I don't mind. Go and enjoy yourself... but just as long as you stay within the boundaries of being friends." Louis warned, and his voice did hint jealousy now.

"We will. Believe me." Harry promised. 

"I'm falling asleep." Louis whispered into the speaker, causing Harry to roll his eyes with a giggle. 

"I'm boring you to sleep, am I? Charming." He smirked. "Get some rest, babe. I'll contact you later."

"I love you." Louis breathed out, sleepily. 

"I love you, too."

\- - -

Harry was nervously pacing back and forth as he stood beside the water fountain, where he and Alex were supposed to be meeting. There was barely anyone around in this area, which made Harry even more nervous when he thought about how many awkward silences there would probably be. 

His heart started thudding when he saw the recognisable figure of Alex making his way over. He was wearing skinny jeans, ripped at the knees, a plain white t-shirt and a denim jacket. Denim-on-denim only looked good when Louis had worn it once. Alex just looked like a total idiot. 

His hands were stuffed in the pockets, but he removed them as he reached Harry, so he could wrap the younger boy into a tight hug. This took Harry off-guard, as his nose was practically attacked by a waft of way too much aftershave, and his face was pulled right up to Alex's chest. 

"I missed you, little guy." Alex kidded, ruffling Harry's curls before finally releasing him and taking a step back, to give Harry some space. Harry could feel himself flushing red, mainly out of being far too uncomfortable. 

"Umm... thanks." Harry chuckled, awkwardly, not even returning the 'compliment'.

"Let's take a seat!" Alex exclaimed, over-enthusiastically, pointing to the bench behind them. "Catch-up time!"

Harry never remembered Alex being this enthusiastic last time he saw him. Maybe he was just excited because he hadn't seen Harry in so long. Harry reluctantly took a seat beside Alex on the cold, hard bench.

"How have you been?" Alex questioned, with a stupid smirk that Harry wanted to rip off his face and throw into the water fountain. 

"Fuck you," Harry muttered, rolling his eyes, "You know what's been happening in my life, so that's not exactly the best question to ask me."

"Alright, I'm sorry!" Alex apologised. "Apart from the situation with your hot nudes, how have you been?"

Harry tried to ignore the inappropriate adjective and instead tried to think of an acceptable response. "Okay, I guess." He groaned. He already regretted meeting up with Alex, because he had forgotten just how cocky and ignorant he was in person. 

"That's good," He nodded, slowly, "So... with Ben. What's happening now?"

"What do you mean 'what's happening now?'?" Harry grimaced. "Is it any of your business?"

"I'd just like to know, because I actually used to know Ben." Alex explained, as he stared off, into the distance. "I thought he was a good guy."

"You... you knew him?" Harry asked, curiously. "For real?"

"Yup," Alex said, popping the 'p', "We sort of drifted apart. I know a lot of people round here, you'd be surprised."

"Oh." Harry said, simply. Then came that stupid, awkward silence, before Harry decided to break it by answering the previously unanswered question from Alex. "Things are good now. Ben's going to leave Louis alone now."

"He's gonna leave Louis alone?" Alex reiterated, even though Harry had spoken very clearly.

"...Yes." Harry spoke, slowly.

"But he's not gonna leave **you** alone..." Alex breathed, causing Harry's heart rate to speed up. 

"W-What? What the hell do you mean?" Harry questioned, frantically, before Alex sighed and turned to him slowly. 

"I'm sorry I had to do this..." Alex  stated, lifelessly. 

"Do wha-" Before Harry could finish his sentence, somebody had grabbed him from behind,  lifting him off the bench, violently, and clasping a hand around his hand, muffling his startled scream. Harry desperately tried to elbow whoever it was off of him, and tried to kick his way out of the grip, but it was no use. A blindfold was speedily tied around Harry's eyes, before the hand was removed from around his mouth. 

He tried to scream as he was physically lifted over someone's shoulder, but a cloth was placed over his mouth to once again muffle it. Something on the cloth, some sort of obscure substance, seemed to intoxicate him, and before he knew it, he was passing out over the shoulder of this sinister stranger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo... hey. Fucking plot twist!


	55. Chapter Fifty-Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: threat of rape. Don't worry, nothing happens :) There's a lot of drama in this.

"Mum?" Gemma queried, padding across the carpet and into the living room, where Anne was sat with a book. She raised her head and hummed in acknowledgment. "It's almost nine at night... where's Harry?"

Anne immediately slammed down her book, ripping off her reading glasses and peering up at Gemma with wide eyes.

"I thought he was in his room!" She panicked. "I knew he wasn't usually this quiet!"

"I checked upstairs and he's not there. His shoes aren't by the front door, either," Gemma noted, worriedly. "Before we race to any negative conclusions, let me just try and call him."

"Okay," Anne breathed, stressfully raking her fingers through her hair. Gemma pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed Harry's phone number, which she knew off-by-heart. She waited a moment, crossing her fingers, before exhaling loudly when it went straight to voicemail.

"Voicemail," She informed, sternly, stuffing the device back into her pocket.

"Look, we'll give it another ten minutes, and then-"

"Wait... he's probably with Louis. I'll message Louis on Facebook, I think I remember his surname." Gemma said, grabbing her laptop from the coffee table and sitting down with it in her lap. She speedily clicked onto Google, then searched Facebook and logged into her account. 

On the searchbar, she typed out 'Louis Tomlinson' before pressing enter, seeing that the correct account was a mutual friend of Harry's. 

"Thank God, he's online!" Gemma sighed in relief, clicking on the option to message him. Anne waited and watched in optimism.

 **Gemma Styles:** Hi Louis, it's Harry's sister. Just messaging to double check Harry is with you. Thanks. :)

Gemma had to bypass the fact that this boy had supposedly leaked her younger brother's nude photos. This was serious now, and they could deal with that later. He got back to her right away.

 **Louis Tomlinson:** Oh... hello, Gemma. No, Harry isn't with me. 

Gemma felt like her heart was going to explode with worry, until another message popped up from Louis. 

**Louis Tomlinson:** I do know where he is... but I don't know whether or not he'd want YOU to know. 

**Gemma Styles:** Please share! This is important. He isn't home yet.

 **Louis Tomlinson:** He went to meet Alex... just as friends, apparently. Met him at half past three. 

So he'd been gone for almost five and a half hours. Surely two people, just classed as friends, can get bored of each other by then, right? Something weird was going on here. 

**Gemma Styles:** Thank you, Louis! We're worried sick because Harry never turns off his phone when he's out. Do you have this Alex boy's number by any chance? 

**Louis Tomlinson:** I did used to a while back, but I deleted it after I fell out with him. Really sorry. I'm worried now, too :(

Gemma exhaled, very slowly, before looking up to face her awaiting mum. 

"Mum, Harry's gone missing."

\- - -

Harry groaned, deeply, in the back of his throat as his heavy eyelids fluttered open. His heart and breathing sped up to an abnormal rate the second he processed that he was in a new surrounding. He tried to move his hands and feet, but his wrists and ankles were bound to the hard, rickety bed beneath him by cold, metal cuffs. 

Harry whimpered in pure terror as his head whipped to each side, taking in the environment around him. He was in a dimly lit, reasonably large room that had plain white walls, with the paintwork peeling away in some corners, and the flooring of the room was dark oak. The only other items of furniture in the room were a large storage cupboard, made of metal, a small table and a metal chair. 

Harry felt tears prickling his eyes and a lump forming in his throat as he tried hard to remember how the hell he had gotten where he was. All he could recollect was meeting up with Alex before someone snatched him up off the bench, but then he must have passed out because he couldn't remember anything further. 

He was still fully dressed, apart from his shoes, and his mobile phone was visible on a small table in the far corner of the room. Harry was quietly sobbing as he began to panic. There was absolutely nothing he could do now; he was restricted to the bed and he had no idea who he was dealing with here. Well... he had a brief idea...

Just then, he froze when he heard faint talking from somewhere outside the door. What was being said wasn't readable, but all Harry could uptake from it was that it was the voice of what he remembered to be Ben's. His fears became reality.

Harry's head was throbbing along with his heart rate as he tried and tried to think of a plan, even though it was useless. He could scream out for them to let him go but they'd then know he was conscious again. 

"Alright," Ben's voice was right outside the door now, "I'll see you soon. Bye." By the sounds of things, he was speaking on the phone. Harry's pulse plummeted when the doorhandle was ever-so-slowly pushed downwards, and the door creaked open, slowly. 

"Let me fucking go." Harry hissed, leaving a threatening emphasis between each word, but Ben - who was dressed the same as when Harry had last seen him - didn't seem one bit phased by Harry's demand. 

"You're awake." Ben smirked. "Hello, beautiful."

"Don't call me that, you maniac!" Harry yelled, angrily, thrashing his arms and legs against the restraints again, to no use.

"Don't worry your pretty little head, Harry. Louis is on his way." Ben sang, lowly, causing Harry's head to cloud with both confusion and hope. What the hell was going on? Why was Louis coming?

"W-What?" Harry piped, with a pounding heart. "L-Louis... where is he?"

Ben's mouth quirked into a devious smile as his eyes scanned Harry's face. Harry stared back, hatefully, wishing he could break from the curtailment in order to try his best to hurt Ben so he could run away. Ben stalked further into the room, leaving the door to slam with an echo. He stopped by the bedside, causing Harry's entire body to tense as he tried not to make eye contact. 

He shivered in fear when Ben lifted a hand and delicately grazed it over his face, smiling softly to himself. Harry suddenly yanked his face away from Ben's touch, causing Ben to tut in disapproval. 

"Now, now," He whispered, sickly sweet, "It's okay."

"Get away from me." Harry commanded, through gritted teeth. Ben slowly leant his face down until it was parallel with Harry's, causing Harry to become even more frightened. 

"You're a feisty one, aren't you?" He breathed, so cigarette-tinted breath hit Harry's senses and caused him to scrunch up his nose in hatred and disgust. Ben smiled, crookedly, before leaving a sloppy, open-mouthed kiss to Harry's cheek.

Harry screwed his eyes shut and flinched, before trying to contain his urge to retch. When Ben pulled away, Harry's cheek was still wet, but he couldn't wipe it.

"You're fucking disgusting." Harry breathed, eyes still closed.

"Bet you don't mind when Louis kisses you like that. What's so different about me, hmm?" Ben cooed, sounding amused. 

"The difference is that you're repulsive." Harry grumbled. Ben didn't reply this time, because the door flew open and hit the wall with a bang, causing Harry to jump. His heart almost exploded in shock when he saw Alex and another well-build man, wrestling a struggling **Louis** into the room. 

"GET THE HELL OFF ME!" Louis roared, violently trying to break from their strong grips. When his eyes fell onto Harry, gazing at him through tears eyes, he mimed: "I am so sorry, baby."

Louis was shoved down into the metal chair, still attempting to viciously fight the three men - including Ben - away from him. His hands and feet were tightly tied to the chair beneath him, and he was breathing, unsteadily, as his eyes remained on Harry.

"If you don't untie me right now, I'll-" 

"You'll what?" Ben cut Louis off, retrieving a metal crow bar from the cabinet and threateningly slapping it against his hand. Louis' eyes flicked from the weapon to Ben's face, and he remained silent. 

"Anyway, Louis, you're just in time to watch me fuck your little boyfriend." Ben smirked. Louis' eyes darkened, almost instantly, and Harry whimpered in fright.

"You fucking dare..." Louis warned, jaw tense and eyes narrowed.

"If you're going to be difficult, maybe we'll have to move you to another room." Ben said, sternly. "Boys, take him somewhere else." Ben directed to Alex and the other man. Louis' eyes grew wide as he was untied, quickly, from the chair. He whispered "no" several times under his breath as he was wrestled towards the exit of the room.

"HARRY! HARRY, NO!" He screamed in tears, as he was physically dragged out of the room, and the door was slammed shut. Harry could hear Louis' continued cries and screams from outside, but they slowly faded away as he was dragged away from the room. 

"Now, Harry," Ben smirked, "He's out of the way..." He leant in to Harry's face, meaning the curly-haired boy resulted in spitting into Ben's face. Ben tensed and drew back, wiping it off his cheek, slowly, with the back of his hand. "You know, I like a challenge."

"LEAVE ME ALONE! WHERE ARE THEY TAKING LOUIS?!" Harry yelled, desperately, beginning to shakily sob once again. 

"Your pathetic "boyfriend" is gone for now," Ben scoffed, using air quotations, "You can see him again once I've finished with you."

"YOU'RE NOT TOUCHING ME!" Harry demanded, squeaking in terror when Ben edged closer again. 

"This'll be much easier if you go along with it." Ben advised, flatly, placing a hand on Harry's chest. Harry tried again to break from the restraints, but he just couldn't. "Come on, Harry, I can make you feel a thousand times better than Tomlinson ever could." Ben purred. 

Harry let out a startled gasp as Ben's hand skimmed his crotch, satisfied with Harry's reaction. 

"Come on, Styles," Ben whispered, "Calm down. I can make you feel so good, baby."

"Please just leave me alone..." Harry cried, tears gliding down his face. He yelled "NO!" when Ben's hand attempted to slide into his jeans. This was cut off, though. 

"Hey!" Both Harry and Ben jumped as a new voice yelled into the room, and the door to the room had been kicked open. "Get the fuck away from him!"

"Zayn! Liam!" Harry gasped out, in pure relief. Ben tried to dodge a punch from Liam but failed, and his body was sent flying to the floor. Zayn pounced on him, throwing punches to his face, while Liam turned to Harry. 

"Are you okay?" Liam asked, in panic. 

"H-How did you guys know?" Harry whispered, voice still hoarse from earlier screaming and shouting. 

"Long story." Liam informed, before turning to find that Ben was now unconscious.

"How do we get these cuffs off?" Zayn snapped, standing up and examining the restraints. 

"Wait, we need the key," Liam worked out, quickly crouching by Ben's side and patting all of his pockets. He retrieved a small, silver key from the pocket of Ben's jacket and held it up, so it glinted in the light. He hastily unlocked all of the cuffs, and Harry immediately sprung to his feet and wrapped them both into a tight, appreciative hug.

"Th-Thank you s-so much... h-he was gonna..."

"We know, it's okay." Liam whispered, reassuringly. "Is Louis here too?"

"Yeah!" Harry gasped in startled realisation. "H-He's with A-Alex and another guy! I don't know where they went!"

Liam led Zayn and Harry out of the room, glancing around, carefully. There were a few more doors in the hallway, which appeared to be part of a modern house. 

"Be quiet and stay close behind me." Liam whispered, stepping carefully along the hallway. They heard talking from behind the door at the end of the corridor, then they all exchanged cognitive looks when they heard Louis' demanding yells from the other side of the door. 

"Harry, you stay out here." Zayn instructed. Harry did as told, and Liam kicked open the door. Harry covered his face with his hands in fear, unable to watch but able to hear the fight that broke out between the men inside.

Harry wanted to run into Louis' arms but he had to wait. He didn't want to witness any more of this. 

He knew that the coast was clear after a few moments, because the only voices he could hear belonged to Liam, Zayn and Louis. He peeked through his fingers to see Louis, now stood up, looking absolutely guilty and horrified. 

"Harry, oh my God, you don't even know how sorry I am!" He apologised, opening up his arms. Harry ran into them, burying his face into Louis' chest and inhaling his addictive smell. "Did he touch you? Baby, I'll hate myself even more if-"

"M'fine." Harry mumbled, against Louis' chest. When they broke from their hug, Louis turned to Zayn and Liam. 

"I guess you two aren't as bad as I thought." He smirked, causing Liam to slap his arm, playfully. "Guys... thanks. Seriously. God knows how that would have ended if you two hadn't come along. Now, someone needs to call the police."

"On it!" Zayn exclaimed, pulling out his phone and wandering away to make a call. 

"Let's get out of here." Liam sighed, and the other two agreed. They waited until Zayn had made the call, and Harry had put his shoes back on and grabbed his own phone from the other room, before they left that horrible place. The police had the address and could deal with it themselves, and contact Harry for any more details. 

"You're trembling." Louis whispered, as they all walked down the driveway. He had an arm wrapped protectively around Harry. 

"Still shaken up." Harry frowned.

"I'm so sor-"

"I know you're sorry. Stop apologising." Harry insisted, softly, standing on his tiptoes to press a kiss to Louis' cheek.

It had been the most horrible night of Harry's life, by far.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was the sheer definition of dramatic! Sorry if it was overly so. I just needed to get Ben and Alex out of the picture. I know it may not have been realistic with the police and stuff, but that doesn't matter because it's a fanfic.
> 
> Sorry for not updating last night. School has me fucked up :/
> 
> Hope you liked it.


	56. Chapter Fifty-Six

Zayn ended up driving them all back to Louis' house, just so Harry didn't have to go through the stress of explaining to his mum what happened just yet. He made sure to give her a call, though, telling her that he was okay, but he hung up when she began to frantically ask questions. 

Louis' family were out, gladly, which explained the fact that Louis so easily diappeared. Harry still wanted to know everyone else's perspectives on what had happened, though. 

They all took a seat in Louis' bedroom: Harry and Louis sitting cross-legged on the bed, Zayn on the swivel desk chair and Liam on the carpet. 

"I'm still sorry." Louis apologised again into the silence, causing Harry to breathlessly chuckle. 

"Lou, it's okay now. We're all okay." Harry reassured. "I'm just curious as to how Alex and that other guy managed to get you and bring you there. What happened?"

Louis huffed, looking drained when questioned. It was probably because he didn't like looking weak and vulnerable - he wanted to be renowned as being a strong and powerful guy. 

"I was walking to the shop near my house. I have no idea how they knew I was there, but they grabbed me from behind, and I wasn't... I wasn't..."

"Wasn't strong enough to fight them away?" Harry suggested, watching Louis' face scrunch up in discomfort. 

"No! They grabbed me from behind, how could I have-"

"Okay, okay! I understand!" Harry surrendered, regretting challenging Louis' strength. Louis exhaled, slowly, before continuing.

"They just threw me in the back of a car, and that bulky guy who was with Alex managed to restrain me." Louis shrugged, picking off a bit of lint from his duvet cover. 

"How about you guys?" Harry questioned Zayn and Liam. "How did you have any idea what had happened?"

"That Niall kid told us," Zayn informed, "He said you told him you were meeting up with Alex, and we were wary because we heard Alex is a bit of a creep. We found out where he'd taken you both because Louis has mentioned in the past where Ben's house is, after we threatened to call the police on him a while back."

Louis nodded in recollection, before smiling. "I'm just so glad you two turned up. Thank you, guys, so much."

"No big deal," Liam smirked, looking at the clock on Louis' wall to find that it was past midnight. "Shit, I better get back home!"

"Same," Zayn sighed, "I'll drop you off. Do you want a lift, too, Harry?" 

Harry met eyes with Louis, as if asking for confirmation to leave or stay.

"He's staying here for the night." Louis decided. Harry was in no mood to bother arguing, plus he wanted to stay with Louis. 

"Alright. Well, we'll see you guys on Monday." Liam waved, and Zayn said a goodbye, too, before they both got up and left Louis' bedroom and let themselves out of his house. Harry and Louis were left in silence, before Louis broke it.

"I'll literally do anything for you now that you had to go through that, y'know?" He asked, with a sad smile. "It was all my fault, a-and you deserve something in return."

"Louis, you don't need to. Seriously, it's okay."

"I'll literally do anything, please?" Louis begged. "Or I'll never forgive myself."

Harry exhaled, slowly, "Louis, there's nothing I need in return. I love you the same."

"C'mon, think a bit!" Louis exclaimed. "I'll... I'll come out of the closet to everyone! How about that?"

Harry's mouth dropped open in surprise. "Y-You'd do that? Are you ready for that?"

He was so shocked, mainly because of how much Louis tried to hide the fact that he was involved with Harry. He probably didn't want to be called a hypocrit and get judged himself, but now he was agreeing to it.

"I think I am, yeah." Louis breathed. 

"Louis, it's a big deal coming out of the closet. You've got to be prepared to face different people's judgements." Harry admitted. When he had come out to his own family, they had been understand, luckily. Not everybody was, though. 

"My sister, Lottie, already knows." Louis informed, remembering back to the night in her room where he stood in front of his sister's bedroom mirror and admitted it to both her and himself. That was difficult enough, let alone having to admit it to just about everyone Louis knows. 

"Really? Did she take it well?" Harry queried. 

"Yeah, actually. She helped me admit it to myself."

"D'you think your mum would be as understanding?" Harry questioned. Louis took a deep breath, shutting his eyes. 

"We'll see, won't we?" He chuckled, lifelessly, "We'll see."

\- - -

School still seemed tense. There were a few people still laughing at Harry, but most of the maturer ones had grown up and got over it by now. Harry was feeling better about the situation now that Ben and Alex were under suspicion with the police, but there was still the next obstacle to overcome: coming out as a couple with Louis. 

When Louis had broke down crying, after Harry's nude photos spread, some other students might have even guessed that Louis was emotionally attached to Harry, but that wasn't for certain. They may not have picked up on it.

The people who knew about Harry and Louis' relationship, briefly, were: Liam, Zayn, Niall, Hannah, Perrie, Gemma, Harry's mum and Lottie. It was a good start, but there was still the fact that they had to next come out to their entire school. 

Since the situation with Harry's leaked photos, he had sort of become a mentally stronger person. He had dealt with people being judgemental and immature, but he had lived with it. 

"Okay, I'm freaking out." Louis breathed, in worry, as they leant against the wall behind the maths building. "H-How are we gonna do this?"

"Look, however you want." Harry soothed. "We'll give it another week to prepare for it, if you're worried, and then you can decide how we'll tell everyone."

Harry couldn't believe how much Louis was maturing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not updating in, like, 39 years. School has been stressing me out. I think there will be one or two more chapters after this one, but I'm still trying to figure out a good ending. Ideas?
> 
> Sorry if this chapter was short.


	57. Chapter Fifty-Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Contains smut towards the end, as a sorry for a long absence!
> 
> *Unedited*

Unintentionally, Harry was fifteen minutes late for school on Tuesday morning. It was due to being tired and generally having no drive to get out of bed. He trudged along to school anyway, knowing Louis would want to see him and as would Niall.

He didn't even bother explaining to Mr Gordon why he was late because that would require the use of words. The only energy to be used for speaking was being saved for Louis, who gave Harry a smile as he sat down. 

"Hey," Louis greeted, giving a brief wave, "Thought I'd be alone today before you showed up."

"I'll always keep you informed." Harry grinned, throwing his bag under the table.

"Shut up, you sound like a flight attendant." Louis snorted. "I'm glad you came in, honestly. I'm still fussing about the thought of... coming out." He whispered the final two words, terrified by the fact that his classmates could hear the supposedly derogatory term - in Louis' opinion.

"There's no need to stress, Louis, I'm sure people will respect you no matter what." Harry reassured.

"I don't think they will," Louis sighed, "I mean, people began suspecting it in the past and I got scared. Rumours spread like a forest fire and I had to cover it up by acting like a bloody player."

Harry recalled what Niall said in the past - ages ago, it seemed - about how Louis was suspected of being interested in boys. The suspicion had now been resolved to Harry. 

"If they don't want to accept it, they can go and fuck themselves! Louis, I had the same thoughts as you when contemplating coming out but I pushed them aside and just did it. You have to free yourself. Sure, there was quite a lot of commotion from people, but I ignored it and got on with my life. Nobody should run your life for you!"

Louis was staring blankly ahead after Harry's inspirational speech. He was in deep, deep thought, meaning Harry was actually thankfully getting to him. He actually didn't speak for the rest of the lesson, not even when they had left and were stood in the hallway.

Harry spotted Niall in the corner of his eye, leaving the classroom.

"Hey, Niall!" Harry called him, waving him over. Niall mumbled something to Hannah and Perrie before jogging over to Harry.

"Hi, Harry." Niall smiled. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to thank you for helping Liam and Zayn on Friday... y'know, in finding out where I was." Harry informed.

"Ah, that's no problem, man! Honestly." Niall patted Harry's back with a gleeful smile. "Anyway, Perrie and Hannah are waiting for me. I'll speak to you later." He gave a friendly wave before jogging away, in the direction of the exit of the school building. 

Harry turned back to face Louis, who was leaning against the wall while scrolling on his phone. Harry cleared his throat, not liking the lack of attention, and Louis' eyes rose up to meet Harry's. 

"Oh, sorry," He apologised, stuffing his phone into his pocket. "Mind if we go to the toilets real quick? I just have to sort out my hair."

"No problem, even though it looks flawless." Harry winked. Of course he was lying! Louis' hair was very messy, sticking out in several different directions and practically screaming the word negligence at whoever looked at it. Louis still managed to stylishly sport it, though. 

Louis led them both into the boys' toilets, which was thankfully empty. It was difficult to get to the mirrors above the sinks when other boys were washing their hands and crowding the mirrors themselves; it was particularly awkward when other boys were using the urinals, too.

Louis contorted his face when he saw his reflection, immediately raking his fingers through it and fluffing it up. 

"You lied," He smirked at Harry's reflected face in the mirror, "It looks awful, not flawless."

"Whatever!" Harry whined, shooting him a grin.

"Must be stressed," He sighed, "I keep thinking about coming out and... I guess it's affecting how I look."

Harry couldn't tell whether Louis was just being stupid or not. It could just be another excuse to try and back out of coming out - by making Harry feel sympathetic about it. It was the second time he had mentioned being worried about it now. 

"Look, there's no need to be stressed," Harry soothed. "As I said before, people will understand. And if they do, they're the sort of people you want in your life. Okay?"

"Thank you, baby." Louis whispered, turning away from the mirror. He and Harry stared at one another for a moment or two, connecting without words. It was like just a stare could scream a thousand words. 

"Anything I can do to help you relax?" Harry offered into the silence, after noting the sadness in Louis' eyes. He regretted asking it when he saw Louis' eyes slowly darken, and a smirk spread across his face. "Oh, stop being so dirty minded, Louis Tomlinson!" Harry giggled. 

"Well, d'you know what's on my bucket list?" Louis randomly remarked, nibbling on his bottom lip. 

"I don't," Harry said, "But I bet it's something very, very controversial. Am I right?"

"I guess you could say so... I want to fuck someone in a public place." Louis casually said, although very suggestively. Harry's eyes widened, as did his mouth.

"That's... pretty..." Harry couldn't think of a way to end the sentence, so he just thought up an adjective on the spot. "Extravagant."

"Up for it?"

Harry breathed a laugh, shaking his head very lightly as he did. "Louis, I can't do that. Not now."

"Why? We'll be quiet! Well... that's if you'll be able to keep quiet this time." Louis breathed, strolling over and pushing Harry lightly against the wall, pressing their bodies together. Harry's cheeks were tinted pink. 

"Lou, you do know anyone could walk in right now, and that'd be a very interesting alternative say of coming out." Harry chuckled at the fact that they were in the middle of school, and anybody could walk in at that moment and find Louis pressed up against Harry.

"Let's go in there, then," Louis whispered in Harry's ear, nudging his head towards the grotty bathroom cubicle. Harry was definitely apprehensive at first. Would it be worth the risk? Surely nobody would see them, would they?

"Umm..." Harry scrunched his face up in thought. "How long until our next lesson starts?"

Louis pulled out his phone, unlocking it to peer at it. "We have fifteen minutes, Harry. More than enough time." He smirked. Harry gave in, following Louis quickly into the bathroom cubicle and locking it behind them.

Louis certainly wasn't hesitant in pushing Harry up against the cubicle wall, reluctant to waste any precious time, and they both dropped their bags to the floor.

"Want me to make you feel good again?" Louis purred against Harry's neck, causing him to let his eyes flutter shut as he sharply inhaled.

"Yeah." He breathed, gripping tightly onto Louis' biceps. Louis closed the gap between them by attaching his lips to Harry's, whose lips reacted beautifully by moulding into Louis' as he kissed back. Louis hummed into the kiss, tugging the hem of his own t-shirt and breaking the kiss only briefly to tug it off, over his head. He threw it on top of his bag, on the floor, and Harry was quick in raising his hands to caress over the soft, hot skin of Louis' torso. 

"This is so naughty." Harry whispered in giggles, between kisses. Louis reacted by pushing Harry down onto the closed toilet seat, so he was glancing up at Louis with large, forever innocent eyes. 

"Fuck," Louis grunted, "You look so hot. Umm, can you quickly suck my dick, yeah? Almost hard already."

Harry's stomach flipped when he relived in his head what it felt like last time when he and Louis made love. It felt like he had visited heaven, and now was a chance to reenact that moment.

He unbuttoned and unzipped Louis' skinny jeans, who was pretty impatient, trying to quickly shimmy them down to his ankles. Harry tugged them down, along with his underwear. Louis was telling the truth: he was already pretty hard. He must've really been in mood to get aroused so quickly.

Harry wet his lips before taking the head of Louis' cock into his mouth. He could tell Louis was trying hard not to make any sounds of content that were too loud, seeing as the bathroom they were in was very echoey and everyone would hear. Harry took Louis' dick further into his mouth, hollowing out his cheeks and glancing up at Louis. 

"Holy shit, that feels nice." Louis breathed, lacing the fingers of one hand into Harry's curls. He pulled particularly hard on Harry's hair when Harry took more of his dick into his mouth, causing Harry to hum a moan around it at the feeling of having his hair pulled. This caused Louis to smirk. 

"You're into hair tugging?" Louis panted, smugly, "How did I never find out?"

Harry lifted his mouth from Louis' cock, lips red and wet, and displayed a devious smile. "I've always restrained expressing it." He winked once, before placing his mouth back around Louis' shaft and moving his head down until he could get as much in as possible without gagging around it. He then began bobbing his head up and down, opening up his throat to prevent coughing and stopping.

"Ohhh shit." Louis whispered in bliss, tugging more roughly on Harry's hair as he tipped his head back, and his eyes screwed shut. Harry let out a higher whine around Louis' dick. 

"Okay, okay, I'll fucking cum if you continue like that," Louis breathed a laugh, removing his fully hard dick from Harry's mouth. Harry smirked, not even taking into account the fact that he was doing this in school. He would never have dreamed of doing such a thing in his previous schools, but then he remembered it was because he didn't know Louis back then. Louis stepped completely out of his jeans and boxers, kicking them aside. "Take your jeans off, baby. We have to make this quick if you want my dick inside you."

Harry nodded, desperately. He stood up and undid his jeans, tugging them off, then his boxers, kicking them alongside Louis' discarded clothing. He too was hard from having Louis' dick in his mouth and having his hair pulled like that. He pulled off his t-shirt too, leaving both completely naked.

Harry still couldn't help but fully appreciate just how perfect Louis' body was. He was all tanned, muscular perfection. Never did Harry think he'd get someone so flawless.

Harry knelt up on the toilet seat, steadying himself against the wall, and Louis breathed a curse at how hot Harry looked. Harry was going to ask about lube, but before he did this Louis was grabbing his own school bag and retrieving a small, travel size bottle of lube, along with a condom. 

"Trust you to have that stuff in your schoolbag." Harry smirked over his shoulder.

"Shut up," Louis chuckled, quietly, "Spread your arse for me, baby."

Harry did this, hearing the snap of the lube opening. 

"Fuck, you still look tight," Louis whispered, "D'you need me to finger you quick?"

Harry shrugged, too overwrought with arousal to come up with a reply. Louis answered it himself, squirting some lube onto his fingertips and pressing two of them against Harry's entrance. 

"Just to be safe, babe. Don't want to hurt you."

He pushed the two fingers inside, slowly, causing Harry to suck in a quick breath of air at the sudden intrusion. Louis shushed Harry's hushed moans a few times, until the fingers were completely inside. Harry's face scrunched up as Louis scissored the two fingers outwards, twisting them around so Harry was shutting his eyes and biting back a groan. There was that inevitable burning, but the feeling of being slightly full and the pressure successfully conquered the pain.

"That should do," Louis breathed, carefully removing the fingers. He ripped open the condom, rolling it quickly over his cock. He doubled up on lubricant, smothering it over both his dick and Harry's hole.

He positioned himself behind Harry, holding the curly-haired boy's shoulder as he gradually pushed the head in, and Harry was already loudly moaning - head hitting the wall in front of him.

"Harry, babe, we can't do this if you're gonna be loud." Louis warned, having to grip extra hard on Harry's shoulder at the intense heat around his cock.

"Sorry." Harry brokenly whispered, stabilising himself against the wall again. Louis pushed in, bit-by-bit, and Harry felt like he was going to explode with the sheer amount of sounds he was keeping in.

"Good, nice and quiet." Louis purred out, completely inside of Harry now. Louis waited a moment or two, waiting for Harry to steady his breath. Harry released a whine, high in his throat, when Louis drew his hips back and pushed back inside.

"Sh-Shit. P-Pull my hair," Harry begged in whisper, "F-Fuck, please."

Louis grabbed Harry's bare hip with one hand and used the other to fist into Harry's hair. He pulled it as he thrust in and out, causing Harry to tip back his head and release a very audible whimper, which echoed throughout the small room. 

"Harry, babe, shush!" Louis exclaimed in whisper, "Or we'll have to stop. You don't want that, do you?"

"No, I-I'm sorry." Harry replied, breathlessly. "C-Can I ride you? Fuck."

"Yeah, that's fucking hot," Louis breathed. He pulled out of Harry and Harry got to his feet, shakily. Louis sat on the closed toilet seat, holding his dick up while Harry straddled his lap and guided Louis' cock to his entrance. He gasped when it was inside, slowly and shakily sitting down on it until it was fully inside, and their thighs were pressed together. 

"So f-fucking full." Harry hissed out, feeling unable to physically move. There was a pang of pain again, but also that bubbling feeling of pleasure building up too.

Louis was too trying to contain his moans, biting down on his bottom lip. He grabbed Harry by his soft hips, helping to lift him, while Harry planted his feet firmly on the floor for balance. 

Louis thrusted in and out, along with Harry moving up and down on his dick, so both of them were gasping for breath. In the thrill of the moment, Harry's head tipped back and he moaned -- very loudly, open-mouthed. Louis didn't say anything about it, too encased in the pleasure that was taking over him. Harry was gripping into Louis with his nails, leaving little half-moon indents in the tanned skin of his arms.

Then, to their horror, came the sound of the bathroom door opening. They both stopped in their movements, Harry needing to grab Louis' shoulders to stop himself from falling, and Louis logically and instinctively slapped a hand over Harry's mouth. Harry hummed out an involuntary whimper behind Louis' hand, causing Louis' hand to tighten around his mouth even more. 

Harry couldn't be quiet. With the sensation of Louis' cock inside of him, it was virtually impossible.

"Okay, baby, keep quiet." Louis whispered in Harry's ear, lowly. Harry was holding his breath, feeling like he was going to completely let go and make a sound.

They both listened carefully, Harry heavily breathing behind Louis' hand, and could hear two other boys talking. They were obviously just using the mirrors in the bathroom and Harry wanted to yell at them to leave so he and Louis could continue.

"L-Louis," Harry grumbled quietly in the other's ear, "Gonna moan."

"No, no, you're okay," Louis reassured in whisper, "Shh, shh, it's okay. Hold your breath."

Harry did this again, stomach flipping as he tried to fight the pleasure. 

"Come to the canteen with me," One boy asked the other. Harry wanted to scream "YES, GO TO THE FUCKING CANTEEN WITH HIM AND LEAVE US TO FUCK!" but he realistically couldn't.

"C'mon, then," The other sighed, and then was the sound of their footsteps leaving the room and the door slamming, leaving the room in silence again.

Immediately, Harry released a high whimper against Louis' shoulder. 

"Good boy." Louis smiled, before grabbing Harry's hips again and continuing to thrust into him, at a steady rate. The sudden change caught Harry off-guard, and he had to steady himself again. 

"Oh, God, fuck yeah..." Harry breathed out, in pleasure.

"So good, baby, doing so well." Louis praised, lowly. Both were working up a sweat, having to brush their fringes from their eyes occasionally or wipe new layers of perspiration from their foreheads.

"I'm close." Harry whispered, after another moment. "S-So fucking close." That bubbling feeling in his stomach couldn't be mistaken as anything other than the build up of an orgasm.

"So am I, curly, not long." Louis smirked after using the nickname, staring into Harry's eyes as they both became undone. Harry stopped moving completely, mouth falling open and eyes squeezing shut as he heavily gasped. Then, Louis was wanking him off, very quickly, causing Harry's torso to begin jolting forwards and tears to prickle his eyes. He was choking on sobs, and he was cumming seconds later, all over he and Louis' stomachs. The sheer look of pleasure on his face and the tightness around Louis' dick had Louis cumming too, into the condom. 

The bathroom was filled with quick, breathy moans, and Harry's light sobs. Harry pressed his face into Louis' hot shoulder, still shaking and trying to catch his breath back.

"Holy fuck, baby," Louis panted, with a smirk. "Are you okay? You always seem to cry."

"I-I can't help it," Harry claimed. It was true: the pleasure just got too much until he was crying with it.

"It's not a bad thing! I think it's adorable." Louis smiled, brushing Harry's sweaty fringe back and planting a kiss on the revealed skin. Harry returned the soft smile, going a step further by pecking Louis on the lips.

"I love you." Louis whispered, face straight and full of genuineness.

"I love you too," Harry responded, kissing Louis' lips again. "For some reason." He smirked.

"Shut up." Louis pouted, with a slight smile. "We better get dressed, c'mon."

The two stood up again, although Harry felt like his legs were going to give way due to how hard he previously came. Louis removed the soiled condom and threw it into a bin by the toilet, then grabbed some tissue and wiped up Harry's cum from them both.

They speedily got dressed, before leaving the cubicle. Harry caught sight of himself in the mirror. His hair was messed up and slightly sweaty, his cheeks were pink, his eyes were glossy and his lips were red and swollen.

"I'm the walking definition of sex, Louis." Harry giggled, trying to fix his hair and fan his face with his hands to cool himself down. 

"If anyone asks, just say you're ill." Louis suggested, quickly kissing Harry's forehead once again. "C'mon, we better get going."

Hopefully that love-making session would convince Louis to come out soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not updating for 23 days! I've been hella busy with school and my 1D concert back on September 30th so I've had no time to write. I made a Larry sign that all 4 boys saw, so I'm sososo happy!
> 
> This Fanfiction is very close to the end, I THINK, so bare with me :) Thanks.


	58. Chapter Fifty-Eight

"No, no, no," Louis sighed, having already repeated the word what seemed like over fifty times now, every time Harry made a suggestion about how Louis was going to come out. 

They were sat in Louis' bedroom on a Thursday evening, cross-legged on the bed, and Harry was beginning to get a little bit frustrated over Louis' constant denials of his offers. 

"Louis, if you're going to keep saying no to all of my suggestions then we're not going to do this," Harry huffed, "And you said you were ready for this, that you're doing it for me."

Louis raked a hand through his hair in stress, looking down at his lap. "I'm sorry, it's all getting to me. I'll keep declining everything you suggest because I'm **scared** , Harry. It's normal for me to be."

"I know, I'm not saying it isn't! All I'm trying to tell you here is that you need to come out in person. You can't just right a little Facebook status or text people because that's just not believable enough. I'm not being funny but... people wouldn't exactly be expecting it, would they?" Harry reasoned. 

"What do you want me to do, shout it from the fucking rooftops?" Louis sassed. Harry wasn't phased by Louis' harsh tone of voice, knowing it was simply brought on by apprehension. 

"Don't be silly, Louis, you know what I mean." Harry giggled, trying to lighten the mood a bit. "How about you do it in an assembly? There's an end of term assembly next week."

"Just book a spot in a fucking school assembly? Harry, I can't. There's no way I can do it that way."

"Lou, stop being so pessimistic! All you have to do is stand up and say it during the question time. You've admitted it to yourself, now it's time to admit it to everyone else." Harry insisted.

"Okay," Louis breathed, "I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it to repay you for all of the shit I've ever put you through."

Harry's eyes brightened, as did his smile. "Thanks, Louis." He caged him in a comforting hug. "I promise it'll be okay."

\- - -

"Okay, I'm officially freaking out." Louis frantically whispered, tugging on Harry's sleeve as they and all of the other students began pouring into the large hall, in which their assembly for the term was being held.

"You'll be fine," Harry assured, as they both took a seat, "No one will hate you. In fact, they'll think you're brave for doing it."

Harry could feel Louis trembling by his side, which was surprising for him. He was usually a tough and determined guy, not a timid and afraid one. Harry delicately stroked his thumb on the soft skin of Louis' forearm, as a way of reassuring him, non-verbally.

One of the school's teachers, Mrs Clinton, began to speak when everyone was seated, going over the usual essential announcements and celebrations from the past term. Usually Harry looked forward to the section at the end where people just asked questions because it was towards the end of the assembly, but he was ultimately dreading it today. He was terrified.

"I can't do this." Louis whispered, after a couple of minutes.

"You can. You're going to. It's going to be absolutely fine, Lou, I promise you."

Hannah was watching Harry and Louis from a few rows forward, which was probably making Louis even more nervous. Nobody else, not even any of their closest friends, knew about their plan today. It was going to be a surprise for absolutely everyone.

Time went on, as did the boring announcements, and Louis seemed to actually be settling down a bit more. He wasn't trembling so much and his breathing had leveled once again. The end of the assembly was nearing, and now it was question time from the students: the time during which students could ask any questions that they had about anything mentioned in the assembly. Students began raising their hands and asking away, receiving maximum attention from everybody else sat in the room.

"Shit, it's so quiet." Louis breathed in Harry's ear. The only audible voices were students asking questions, then Mrs Clinton answering them.

"Confidence, Louis. I know you're confident." Harry spurred him on, patting his knee.

"Okay, are there any more questions or concerns from anybody?" Mrs Clinton, the holder of the assembly, asked. Harry nudged Louis' leg with his, hearing him inhale deeply.

"Yeah, I do," He spoke up, raising a hand. Everybody in the room, both teachers and students, turned to Louis in shock. Never did such a careless person want to give an input regarding the assembly.

"Go ahead, Louis." Mrs Clinton smiled, waving for him to continue. Many were confused when Louis actually stood up, because this wasn't a mandatory procedure when asking a question.

"Umm," Louis cleared his throat, "I just have something to t-tell everyone." He cleared his throat once again.

"Okay..." Mrs Clinton nodded along, eyebrows creased in confusion.

"W-Well, you all know Harry," Louis began, causing Harry to want to literally face-palm at the bad start. "Me and Harry... we, umm..."

Harry took a deep breath, noticing Louis' struggle, and too stood up, so everybody's eyes shot up to look at him.

"What Louis is trying to say is that..." Harry broke off now, far too flustered when faced with the many pairs of eyes on him. From across the room, Niall then stood up, to Harry and Louis' surprise.

"Harry and Louis are in a relationship." He loudly notified, helping the two out. The hall, previously eerily silent, erupted into loud and unbelieving conversation. Louis' cheeks had heated up upon seeing the sheer shock on everybody's faces - especially Mrs Clinton and Mr Gordon's.

Embarrassed and too overwhelmed to sit back down, Louis stepped over everyone else's legs in their row of seats and quickly walked out of the hall. Harry could tell why; a few people were actually laughing. Harry followed in Louis' lead, dodging out of everybody's way and jogging out of the hall. He went to the first place he thought of that Louis would have stormed off to: behind the maths building.

Believe it or not, Louis was certainly there, forehead pressed against the cold brick wall and hands in his hair.

"Lou?"

Louis practically jumped out of his skin, spinning and looking slightly relieved that it was only Harry.

"Th-They were laughing at me." He choked on breathy sobs, sad eyes meeting Harry's concerned ones.

"Only a few immature people were, Louis. They're ridiculous. Probably jealous that you were confident enough to do such an amazing thing in front of everyone."

"But I **wasn't** confident, Harry, was I?" Louis snapped, angry at himself, "Niall had to step in and finish the fucking job!"

"It's understandable that you couldn't do it, love, because it's one of the hardest things you'll ever have to do. Now you've done it!" Harry soothingly rubbed Louis' back.

"I guess... but it'll be hard facing everyone again."

"Louis, I had the same problem after those photos circulated-"

"Don't bring that up again. Please." Louis growled, certainly not in the mood to be ridiculed about his mistakes again.

"I forgave you, Louis. All I was going to say is that everyone forgets about it in the end. Their idea of a 'joke' is to provoke a reaction from you, so you just have to try and ignore them because that's when you're not giving them the power anymore. You're showing them that you're more mature than them and you don't care about what they're trying to criticise you about."

Louis took a deep breath, slowly nodding and drying his eyes with his sleeves. "I guess you're right."

"Then should we get to our lesson? I'll stay by your side."

"Okay. Promise not to leave?"

"I promise."

\- - -

The two of them walked hand-in-hand through the school corridor, confidently. Students were nudging each other and pointing, but it only took a terrifyingly harsh glare from Louis to stop them.

"I thought you hated Harry!" A voice yelled at Louis from in amongst a crowd. Louis ignored it, hand tensing against Harry's. "You fucking bullied him!"

Harry could tell Louis was using every ounce of his wellbeing to prevent himself from launching himself at the anonymous voice.

"He probably ties him up when he fucks him, so he can't get away." A different voice, from the same crowd, cackled, causing an uproar of laughter.

"Whoever said that, I suggest you shut the fuck up before I rip your throat out." Liam shouted from the other side of the corridor, before supportively winking and putting a thumb up to Harry and Louis. It seemed to shut people up because the negative comments ceased.

"Guys!" Perrie bounced over with a huge smile. "Congratulations on coming out!"

"Thanks," Harry grinned, breaking hands with Louis to give Perrie a quick hug. Hannah was stood a few metres back, leaning on one hip with crossed arms, and she managed to force a weak smile towards the couple to show fake enthusiasm. Niall, Liam and Zayn were stood close by too, which made Harry and Louis feel supported to know they had a big group of friends who cared about them.

"It's good to know we have people in our lives who care," Louis smiled, "But I still have to come out to my mum. That's not gonna be easy."

"C'mon, you can do that!" Harry convinced. "She's one person with one opinion. You've just told over a hundred people in assembly, so telling her will be a breeze."

"D'you think so?" Louis bit his bottom lip, worriedly.

"Of course," Niall chipped in, "Good luck with that, buddy."

"Anyway, let's get to class."

And the seven of them all walked together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One or two more chapters to go, depending on how much I decide to write to end it. Sorry if you feel like their coming out was rushed.
> 
> Thanks for bearing with me with the slow updates.


	59. Chapter Fifty-Nine

Things were difficult throughout the first week of Louis being out of the closet to the school. Comments continued, criticisms were shared, but Louis managed to fight through it without flipping out and getting violent with anybody. The comments that Harry could tell affected Louis the most were the ones that questioned how Harry could love the boy who constantly bullied him for months, but Harry always blanked them out and whispered to Louis that it was okay. It was in the past.

There was still that burning bother in the back of Louis' mind that he had to tell his mum, but that would be easy. If she took it the right way, that is. Louis' mum knew that Louis used to be homophobic. She knew that he used to bully people but she didn't do anything to put him in place because she didn't think there was a particular way to change her son's demeanour.

It was hard to tell whether she'd be happy that Louis had come to terms with his sexuality or whether she'd be angry due to thinking he was a hypocrit.

Harry suggested that he could maybe be there with Louis when he tells his mum, seeing as he hadn't even met her yet. It seemed weird that he hadn't, seeing as he had been to Louis' house before and had only met his sister.

Their chosen way of telling her was to just sit down with her and break the news. They didn't particularly need to find a unique or creative way of telling her because it would be pointless. So, on a Saturday afternoon, Harry got the bus to Louis' house and knocked clearly on the door. 

Louis answered, sending a bright smile Harry's way.

"Hi," He beamed, "Come in."

"Hey." Harry responded. stepped into the house, slipping his shoes off by the door and awkwardly sticking his hands in his pockets.

"Follow me." Louis instructed, wandering into a room on the right. Harry did as told, walking behind Louis and into a room that appeared to be the living room. On the sofa, watching the television, was Louis' sister - who Harry recognised - and a woman.

When she looked up and smiled at Harry, her face immediately reminded him of Louis. She had his eyes, for sure, and certainly was responsible for Louis' good looks.

"Hello, I'm Louis' mum." She greeted. "Call me Jay, if you like."

"I'm Harry." He confidently responded, stepping forwards to shake her hand in a friendly, polite gesture. Lottie gave Harry a little wave, remembering him from the night of the project.

"So," She paused the television programme. "What was it you wanted to talk about, Loubear?" Jay smirked, clearly only using the nickname to embarrass Louis, whose cheeks reddened. Harry giggled.

"Mum, don't call me that!" Louis whined. He and Harry took a seat on the other sofa. "It's just something that I... wanted to admit to you."

Lottie already knew. It was obvious. She was reassuringly smiling at Louis, giving a little nod. Trying to non-verbally coax it out of him.

"Okay..." Jay sternly said, voice full of seriousness.

Louis took a very deep breath. "It's something I didn't realise until I met Harry." He carefully spoke, making Harry's insides stir in bliss. All the time Louis had known him, even throughout the bullying, Louis had secretly liked Harry. There had been a spark that was probably at first dull to Louis, and he tried to put out that spark by pretending he hated Harry. When all along, they were destined to be together.

"I think I know what you're trying to say," Jay's face was contorted into a soft smile. Louis looked sightly baffled.

"Louis, are you trying to say that you're interested in boys?" She guessed.

Louis and Harry exchange flustered looks, before Louis gave a light but awkward chuckle. "Is that... okay?"

"Of course it's okay." Jay relieved, rolling her eyes with a laugh in a way to show Louis it was stupid to think she'd be against it. "I'm guessing you two are dating, then?" Her gaze flicked to Harry.

"Yeah," Harry spoke up, confidently.

"I'm glad you had the courage to tell me. Thank you." She grinned. "There's nothing to worry about, you can't change who you are."

"I've known for ages now that Louis' gay," Lottie boasted, "He confessed it to me."

"That's true." Louis laughed. "I was pretty reluctant to admit it at first... from the start."

"But now you've come to terms with it. I'm glad you're happy now."

And that was all the conversation consisted of. No consequences, no bad judgements. Harry, later that day, slipped in a comment about he and Louis being on good terms into the conversation at dinner that night, with his own mum and sister. It was just to fully establish what was going on, considering they definitely had their ups and downs. They were happy for him. Gemma was absolutely delighted, over-dramatically expressing how she wanted to be the head bridesmaid at their wedding, causing Harry to tell her to stop being overly optimistic.

Harry and Louis were free to everyone now. Through every single thing they had been through: the bullying, the smoking, the parties, the sexual comments, the change of style, the first date, the making love, the situation with Alex and Ben, the coming out... everything had turned out okay in the end. 

Love had conquered all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Basically, the last chapter is just going to be a short little one, probably a cute one. Just to make it 60 chapters. ;)


	60. Chapter Sixty

One of the best adventures to go on with your friends is through a field at midnight, while it's raining. This is what Harry and Louis did with their friends.

Niall ran ahead into the darkness of the night with a torch, rain only light at this time, so nobody was soaking wet yet.

"Slow down, Niall, or we'll lose you!" Hannah yelled, humorously, hooking arms with her new boyfriend, Adam. She had recently gotten over Louis, finally coming to accept that he was taken by Harry.

Perrie was walking and talking with Liam and Zayn, just behind Hannah and Adam, and then at the back was Harry and Louis, holding hands. They were all holding torches and lanterns to light their adventure. Niall finally came to a stop, figuring running off into the dark fields was both frightening and spine chilling on his own.

Everybody caught up and all huddled together in a crowd. The rain was coming down a bit harder now but nobody cared. Harry snuggled his face into Louis' shoulder, gripping tighter onto his arm for safety.

"How about we play hide and seek?" Zayn smirked, and Louis shone his torch right in Zayn's face just to annoy him.

"I'm up for that." Louis mischievously said, rubbing his hands together, being the childish boy that he was.

"How about Hannah and I count, everyone else hide?" Adam suggested, earning a murmur of agreement from everyone else.

"Are we all hiding alone?" Harry asked, so everyone shone their torches onto his face now to see him in the dark, causing him to squint at the brightness.

"We'll hide in twos." Louis quickly chipped in. "Me and Harry, Liam and Zayn, Niall and Perrie?"

"Good idea, I'd rather not hide on my own around here." Perrie nervously chuckled, glancing around at the pitch black field, with only the slight silhouettes of trees visible in the landscape. The grass all around them was long but the ground was flat, luckily, so nobody was in danger of tripping over.

"Okay, nobody go further than around this area. We'll give you twenty seconds to hide, and make sure to turn your torches off when you're hidden so you don't give your hiding places away." Hannah instructed. "Ready, guys?"

They all agreed.

"Go!" Niall excitedly yelled. Hannah and Adam covered their eyes, beginning to shout down from 20. Harry and Louis linked hands and both sped off in a fit of giggles towards an area of trees. The rain was absolutely pouring down now, having increased in volume over the past couple of minutes. Louis was trying to keep their lantern steady to light the way but it kept shaking as they ran.

Hannah and Adam were on the number 8 in their countdown when Harry and Louis hid in a bush, quickly turning off their torch and snuggling together.

Eventually, the counting got to zero.

"Ready or not, here we come!" Hannah called. Harry was breathily giggling, so Louis had to put a hand over his mouth. Their hair was sopping wet and the leaves of the bush were quite prickly, but they stayed put.

A moment later, Niall's contagious laugh rang through the air and Perrie shouted "dammit!", suggesting they had been found. Niall had probably given them away. Louis pressed a kiss to Harry's head while they waited, gently rubbing his arm.

"Only Louis and Harry to be found now!" Zayn called from about fifty metres away, as he and Liam had been found. They could see the lights of torches and lanterns getting closer, and feet were visible from outside the bush. Harry was close to giggling again but Louis very quietly shushed him, reminding Harry of the situation in the bathroom where they were making love and people had come inside during it.

"Haaarry," Niall muttered, with a giggle, "We're gonna fiiind you!"

And Harry just couldn't control the laughter anymore, not even with the hand clasped around his mouth, so they were immediately found and Louis was pouting at Harry.

They got out of their hiding place and jumped to their feet again. The rain was now coming down relentlessly, soaking everything in its path, but no one cared still because they were having fun.

"What now?" Liam asked. "We didn't really think through the fact that there aren't many place to hide around here."

But Harry and Louis weren't listening, because they were too busy staring into each other's eyes in the light of the torches.

"Look at you two," Perrie cooed, shining her torch onto them, "So in love. C'mon, let's keep walking."

She led Hannah, Adam, Niall, Liam and Zayn away, leading the way with torchlight, but Louis grabbed Harry's arm before he could follow.

"Wait," He whispered, "Do you... do you know what else is on my bucket list?"

"What?"

"I want to kiss you in the rain."

Harry's grin was so wide that he could've sworn his face would crack in half. "Be my guest."

Louis childishly and quickly leant in, placing one hand either side of Harry's rain-soaked face before attaching their lips. The rain pounded down as they slowly kissed, both smiling, and Harry's hands found themselves into Louis' wet hair. The kiss lasted about 30 seconds, long enough for the others to turn back and wolf whistle, and then Harry and Louis slowly pulled together and rested their foreheads together.

"I love you so fucking much." Louis breathed, staring directly into Harry's eyes. "You know that?"

"I figured," Harry smirked, eyes flicking between both of Louis. "I love you too."

"Good thing you do, Curly, otherwise I'd have to make you fall in love with me."

"You already did." Harry whispered, with a small smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo, it took a total of exactly 4 months but it's done! Sorry if this chapter was bad, I just needed to finish it so I can start planning the next.
> 
> My next fanfic will be called "Pursuit" and will, as promised, be a Stalker!Harry and Innocent!Louis one.
> 
> I love you all, thanks for reading <3


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